January 2005

So last night was another game night at the gameLab offices, though this time it was a tab bit special. Eric and his crew had everyone playtest a new game which they plan to unveil at this year’s Game Developers Conference (which I sadly will not able to attend).

It’s a card based role-playing game in which parties of three face off against monsters. I don’t want to go into details since it’s still in development, and perhaps gameLab doesn’t want someone spilling all the beans, but I will say it was actually quite fun to play despite being a card based game, and I generally suck at those. Plus, I also find role playing games rather tedious, but the excellent use of group dynamics made the eventful throughout, even when my group (comprised of fellow SVA cohorts, Nelson and Sam, whom I invited along) was not doing so hot.

The game had some really neat things about, and some not to so hot aspects, but that’s why we were playtesting it in the first place. Most of the problems were related to, not surprisingly, character balance issues, which is always the toughest thing to deal with in any RPG.

At one point, it was rather clear that Nelson’s character type was a somewhat useless accompaniment to Sam and I, so he was tempted to swap his rabbi or an accountant; there was a lone, seemingly ignored accountant card right on the game table. But I argued that we had started the game as a trio comprised of a rabbit, space marine, and magical senior citizen, and it was only right to end the game that way. Plus, who knows how many other groups were eyeing the same card, ready to squeal on whoever wanted to take the advantage?

After the game came a critique session where we discussed what we each thought were the strengths and weaknesses, what we though was fun and not, and possible improvements with folks behind the game. As I said, the game was fun to play, but I found the whole playtesting aspect the most enjoyable. Whenever you create a game, you assume possible actions on the part of the player, and it can sometimes be fascinating (or never-racking) to see things happen that wasn’t intended, or that you worked your hardest to avoid in the first place. I guess that’s why I enjoyed myself so much; playtesting someone else’s game is always preferable since I find it so draining to do it for my own work. Plus, the copious amount of beer, pizza, and teddy grahams helped as well.

Afterwards was the regular play whatever board game you want, but after just two quick rounds of the Tetris board game, I headed home to get some rest; I got only four hours of the sleep the night prior and I was exhausted. Problem was, it was just as cold inside my apartment as it was outside.

I know I really sound like a broken record, but I really hate my fucking apartment. Like all Manhattan apartments, you can control the heat, which often results in my bedroom being a thousand degrees, so I have to turn on the air conditioning, even though its the dead of winter. But on the one night that I really needed the heat full blast, was it even on? Of course not, so I would guess that my bedroom was easily in the low twenties and teens.

Despite the fact that I come off as some angry jerk that hates the world, there are actually very few people I truly despise, but on top of that list is my building’s super (along with MTA employees and crackheads that hold up the ketchup pump at Wendy’s). I seriously do have to fight the urge to punch the guy in the face every time I see him. And he loathes me as well; as much as I can’t stand my roommates, I was totally outraged when I discovered that the asshole was making them, and numerous others in the building grease his palms to get anything done (my roommates, like many folks in the building, are rather new to the country, and this fact was severely taken advantage of). So once I informed them that such a practice was, above all else, highly illegal, it squelched his supplementary income and I’ve been on his shit list ever since.

Anyway it was 1 in the morning and I was lying in bed, trying to go to sleep while wearing five years, and still freezing to death, so I decided to call the rat bastard. Of course I got his machine, the fucker’s never home. Then I tried using the landlord’s home number for the first time. This number I had to strong-arm the super into giving up when no one responded when the bathroom ceiling caved in last winter, and guess what? It was a wrong number. Asshole probably did it on purpose. So I called 311 and filed a report on the bastard with the city. And I just know I’m gonna get more shit from this. Plus, the thing is, I’m not even on the lease, I’m just subletting, so this could get pretty messy…

Anyway, another game/art event tonight, this time a party being thrown by C-TRL that Raina (Lee) told me about. It’s some lan party with old school Macs I think. Despite the cold and fatigue, I might still make it…

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First of, it’s really cold outside. I mean, Jesus fucking Christ cold!

With the exception of the Super Mario Movie, I ended up staying at home pretty much the entire weekend with MK. Robin passed along some tapes and we watched one that featured a couple of failed TV pilots.

The first was Lookwell, a show from the early nineties starring Adam West as a former star of a TV crime drama who still thinks he’s a detective and goes around trying to solve crimes. He also teaches an acting workshops, so he has a whole gang of wanna be actors at his disposal. The show was created by Conan O’Brien and Robert Smigel and was pretty decent. It was funny, but you could tell it was sorta “toned down” feeling which given the time and that it was a pilot, is not too surprising.

The second show was Poochinski. This time it’s about a real detective, an older guy who likes to eat and fart, but has been around the block and knows more than a thing or two, or so says the sergeant to Poochiniski’s new partner, a much younger and strictly by the books kind of person who’s pretty miffed about the partnership. Then one night during a stakeout, a mugger escapes the young detective’s grasps and ends up running Poochinski over. At the moment of death, Poochinski’s spirit goes into a stray bulldog that he befriended in the beginning of the show and eventually they both partner up again, with Poochinski not only getting the chance to get the man who killed him, but showing his ward the ways of love. The highlight of the show has to be the horrible dog puppet that isn’t too far removed from Triumph the Insult Comic Dog in terms of facial articulation.

And the best part of watching both episodes was seeing old early 90′s commercials. Man, they sure did pimp the hell out of Silm Fast back then. Plus there was an old Mark & Brian promo. Sadly, no Eerie, Indiana or Hot Country Nights spots were to be seen.

We also caught some cable access including Sci Fi Ninja Theater. It’s about as cable access as cable access shows go; some large dude dressed as a ninja presenting random metal videos, clips from horror movies, and clips from anime. One minute there was selected scenes from a really creepy Japanese movie about a guy who has a mermaid who melts as the film progresses (she’s in a bathtub and as time goes by, her guts end up spilling out on the sides) and then the next minute are some scenes from an ultra sugary anime about cute little fairies and devils (who swear of course). And as one would expect, there’s tons of interviews with C list celebs from fantasy/horror/anime cons. There’s nothing like watching some vampire chick parading around in an outfit made entirely of tin foil and paperclips and hearing her say her site’s web address seventeen times, with each time being inaudible due to the loud bickering of otakus in the background. Am I dissing the show? Of course not. I’ll be watching again next week, if only in hopes of seeing more footage from Japanese Power Ranger shows, or more of that mermaid movie. Christ it was creepy as fuck…

This past weekend I also finally started going through all my massive collection of magazines which I’ve been accumulating (and carting around) for years. Like all true “collectors”, I will obsessively hold onto to things, with bizarre justifications like “I’ll need that one issue of Entertainment Weekly with the small Harry Potter, Buffy, or Iron Chef article someday!” to the point where I become disgusted with myself and have to then throw it all away. And that’s where I am right now.

I started with EW by going through each issue, scanning for anything clip-able. I don’t have every issue, but I used to get special ones, and without even really looking inside, store them away, assuming it might become relevant or useful later on, like the It List they do once a year. After going through the It Lists for 2001, 2002, and 2003, the only truly interesting thing was a quote from Lemony Snicket himself, Daniel Handler (“Get a job where you have access to a photocopier and a color printer”) which is particularly meaningful for any cartoonist, and especially for me right now since I want to get back into that (well, I always say that), but this time I actually have handy access to both.

Also, under cool game for 2001 was Majestic, which was that game “that played you!” At the time, the notion of playing a game where you uncover some shadow government’s plot via emails, IM’s, and faxes was certainly sounded cool, but didn’t close to revolutionizing gaming like all the traditional (i.e. “non gaming”) publications predicted, who were all practically jizzing all over the damn thing.

And one last game related item: What’s Elijah Woods’ favorite game? The Monkey Island series. Good choice.

Next up is my pile of old EGMs.

BTW, want to know what one of my current favorite gaming mags is? Believe it or not, its Tips & Tricks. There’s a few reasons why, and it’s not because of the copious amounts of strategies and walk-throughs, though if I have a particular game that’s covered, it’s super helpful (and they can even be helpful in determining if I want to get a game or not). There’s simply a nice assortment of regular articles that are dedicated to particular subjects. You’d think it would be a total non-brainer to have a regular section that covers whatever’s hot that month or questions related to online gaming for example, but most gaming publications simply stick to the letters, news, rumors, previews, main article, reviews, cheats, potpourri format way too strictly. I especially dig the what’s going over in Japan section, which is less about import gaming but more on wacky candy and controllers, but perhaps the best is the collector’s corner. This month’s issue has a great article covering the public auction that took place in New York not too long ago that was part of the liquidation of Acclaim’s remaining assets. Man, I’m so pissed that I missed it; I probably wouldn’t have purchased anything, but it still would have been nice to tour the now abandoned offices, just to gawk at the mountains of shitty games in each corner of every room.

Plus I really dig the ultra low-fi look and feel of the mag. The layout and everything just screams 1996. Hell, I’d send them an email telling them how great the magazine is, but (unless I’m really missing something) get this, there’s no email address listed! And there’s no web presence at all either. Course, I guess I could just send in an actual letter, but I’m too lazy for that. Also, I still think it’s sorta funny how Larry Flint publishes it. I wonder if it’s the only publication of his that has no pics of women peeing on each other.

One final thing related to magazines: so I received my last (well, the) last issue of GMR not too long ago. But I had one more issue left on the subscription, so what other magazine did Ziff Davis choose to replace it with? The last issue of Xbox Nation of course!

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