Synner667
Jan 14 2009, 10:58 PM
There are several Topics about books and movies and comics that people have enjoyed.
But what are you people reading, listening to or watching now ??
Any of it inspiring you with your gaming ??
Me...
...I'm part way through the Eisenhorn Trilogy of Warhammer 40k books [again] and loving it for its Cthulhu-in-the-future high-tech grittiness.
I'd highly recommend the books [Xenos, Malleus, Hereticus] for anyone into a fleshed-out grimy, gritty future.
cybertrucker
Jan 16 2009, 12:23 PM
Currently I am reading The Shadowrun novel "A Fistful of Data" Great read so far. After that I am planning on picking up the Hellgate London Novels i have heard they are really good from someone I know.
Movie wise i am anticipating Star Trek which is funny because when i first heard about them using the old crew i was against it but it looks like it could be good.
Another addition to this list would be computer games or console
Currently I am playing Fallout 3 for single player, and Vanguard Saga of Heroes for MMO (you should check out the free trial if you heard the game was bad you heard wrong)
I am anticipating Aieon and Earth Rising both MMOs they will have to be really good to get me to stop playing Vanguard though.
apollo124
Jan 18 2009, 06:13 AM
Currently reading: "Wonder Woman", based on the screenplay of the upcoming animated movie. (Okay, so I'm a comic book geek who likes hot looking busty superheroes)
Currently watching: I saw "The Spirit" at the theater in December. Again with the "hot looking women in superhero style" thing.
Currently playing: The Sims 2 Double Deluxe, which I bought with a Christmas gift card and Neverwinter Nights 1. I'm an old school roleplayer and NWN 2 is just way too much 4th ed D+D to me, and I HATE what they've done with it, and to my beloved Forgotten Realms.
Critias
Jan 18 2009, 05:58 PM
Reading: The Book of Two Guns: the martial art of the 1911 pistol and the AR carbine, by Tiger McGee, is my current book, the last novel sort of gig I read was Hardwired for the zillionth time.
Watching: The last movie I watched at home was The Incredible Hulk. To stave off any actual dvd purchases, my wife and I just snagged a Netflix deal, and we'll be watching Hancock later tonight. Before Hulk, the last thing I watched on dvd was the entirety of seasons one and two of Frisky Dingo, in one sitting. It makes me happy in my pants.
Playing: Fallout 3. Nom nom nom, bloatfly meat!
Wesley Street
Jan 18 2009, 08:52 PM
Currently Reading: Matter by Iain M. Banks, his latest Culture novel and a crap-ton of comic books and graphic novels
Currently Listening: The Cool by Lupe Fiasco
Currently Watching: The Shield, Season 5, and the final seasons of The Wire and Battlestar Galactica
Currently Playing: Fallout 3, Mercenaries 2 (video games) and D&D 4e, Spycraft 2.0, and 2300AD (P&P RPGs)
Backgammon
Jan 18 2009, 09:59 PM
Reading: I'm currently a bit more than half way through Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Price. When that's done, I've got The Steel Remains by Richard Morgan ready to go. REEEAALLY looking forward to that one.
Movies/TW: Looking forward to Terminator 4 and Watchmen mostly. TV-wise, the upcoming last season of Battlestar has me and my wife very excited, Lost and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles are what I watch. Plus I started watching Entourage on my newly acquired HBO Canada which is pretty cool.
Gaming: Finishing up FarCry 2, which is pretty mediocre. I've got Gears of Wars 2 still in shrinkwrap, but I need to go buy a 2nd xbox remote so I can split-screen with my wife. On my shortlist is then Fable 2, but what I'm really looking forward to is the new Total War (for PC) coming up. There's tons of good games lining up, but for now that's what I have my eyes on.
Malicant
Jan 19 2009, 02:45 AM
QUOTE (apollo124 @ Jan 18 2009, 07:13 AM)
I'm an old school roleplayer and NWN 2 is just way too much 4th ed D+D to me, and I HATE what they've done with it, and to my beloved Forgotten Realms.
Ok, this is going off-topic, but what the hell? NWN 1 and 2 use the same fucking rules, there is nothing in NWN 2 that reminds me of 4th edition. It's one of these days again...
Whatever, on Topic: I'm reading The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck right now. Hurray for comics.
That's about it, no interesting books or movies on the near horizon right now, sadly.
TonkaTuff
Jan 19 2009, 05:09 AM
Reading: Invader, the second book in C.J. Cherryh's Foreigner series.
Watching: I think the last movie I watched all the way through was Spiderbaby a couple of weeks back. Sat through the last few hours of the Battlestar Galactica (a show I like, but never seem to end up watching) marathon and the new episode last Friday. And I've been enjoying the Batman and Clone Wars series that've been running on Cartoon Network for the last few months. The former is much like a cross between the 60's TV version and the latter-day Justice League show, and better than that probably sounds. The latter is surprisingly good and feels a bit more faithful to the spirit of the original trilogy - probably due to limited creator meddling.
Playing: I recently dug out my gameboy and started playing Golden Sun again. And I'm about 2/3 of the way through a playthrough of Fallout 2, which has lead to my discovery of the both the PnP adaptation of the game system and a modding community I had no idea even existed (and may prompt yet another playthrough to take advantage of the expanded/fixed content).
chainsawash
Jan 19 2009, 05:21 PM
QUOTE (cybertrucker @ Jan 16 2009, 07:23 AM)
Currently I am reading The Shadowrun novel "A Fistful of Data" Great read so far.
Funny enough I just finished that one. It was ok, I liked the idea of the Crypt and would try to work something like it into a campaign if we ever start playing SR. I read Aftershock right before though and liked that one better out of the two. I'm about to start "Captain's Fury", book four of Jim Butcher's Codex Alera which has fast become my favorite fantasy series.
Eugene
Jan 19 2009, 08:21 PM
Reading: "A Garden of Martyrs" by Michael White (about an early 1800s trial of Irish immigrants in MA).
Watching: Movies - Transsiberian (about the train, tourists, and drug smuggling); TV - Leverage, Supernatural, Burn Notice (soon!)
Playing: Shadowrun (weekly Skype), Jadeclaw (2-3/month), 4e (1/month), + lots of board games (Power Grid and Settlers are current faves)
Dr. John Desmond
Jan 19 2009, 11:42 PM
Reading: Just finished "Killing Pablo" by Mark Bowden, which is the story or how Pablo Escobar was taken down back in the early 90's. Getting ready to start "100 years of Solitude" by Gabirel Garcia Marquez for the 3rd time.
Watching: Finally saw "Slumdog Millionaire" which was outstanding. Also watching Leverage.
Playing: Sporadically playing "Rise of the Argonaughts" and currently on the opening details of a campaign based in luxurious Caracas 2070.
rafebelmont
Jan 20 2009, 07:23 PM
Currently reading Swords And Deviltry by Fritz Leiber, very good short stories so far. Just finished the Chaykin and Mignola's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser comic book, excellent adaptation.
The last movie i saw on dvd was the average Resident Evil, i just can't remember the name, i think it's degenerations...
It's a CG movie, just okay.
Playing: Deus Ex on PC, amazing so far, Neverwinter Nights 1, idem. On Pen and Paper rpg, a playtest campaign using the Pathfinder rules, it has been an excellent game and we're preparing to play SR4, to test the new rules, see if we were not wrong to trade the SR3 rules...
Adarael
Jan 20 2009, 11:05 PM
Watching:
Neon Genesis Evangelion again, because I wanted to see if I still thought it sucked, 15 years later. (Verdict so far: I still hate the main character's spinelessness, and I think the giant robots are grossly incongruous to the theme, but I respect it a lot more.)
The Prisoner. Again. Started it again when Patrick McGoohan died.
Reading:
Trying to finish The Cassini Division, but failing because I keep getting sidetracked.
Reading The 48 Laws of Power, because a pretty girl threatened my testicles if I didn't.
Playing:
Fable II.
Thief: Deadly Shadows.
The Jake
Jan 20 2009, 11:43 PM
Reading: Save Our Sleep (it's actually a book for new parents on getting kids to sleep since I'm expecting my first). In between, I'm reading bits and pieces of various SR4 sourcebooks to better learn the rules and flesh out the campaign.
Watching: The Dark Knight, Blade Runner (trying to, constant interruptions), Babylon A.D.
Playing: Mass Effect, Fallout 3 occasionally. We roleplay weekly but I am for fortnightly participation. Lately I've been playing weekly (and SR4 has proven a hit with my players).
- J.
Malicant
Jan 21 2009, 02:17 AM
QUOTE (Adarael @ Jan 21 2009, 12:05 AM)
Watching:
Neon Genesis Evangelion again, because I wanted to see if I still thought it sucked, 15 years later.
Oh boy, it still sucks, but one is unable to really get away from it.
I would kinda recommend The new (oh boy) Rebuild of Evangelion version. They redo a lot of crap, that made no friggin sense in the original. Some new stuff will be added. The characters are still the same morons, though, so.... well. It's only kinda a recommendation anyways. And it will be like 3 or 4 movies total, so, well... If you can get your hand on it, give it a shot. If you don't care enough, good for you.
This thing will haunt me for the rest of my days...
Synner667
Jan 21 2009, 08:33 AM
Now reading "Legion of the Damned" [William C Dietz] about a mercenary unit of cybersoldiers recruited from the condemned, the terminally ill and those without any other hope.
QUOTE (Adarael @ Jan 20 2009, 11:05 PM)
Watching:
Neon Genesis Evangelion again, because I wanted to see if I still thought it sucked, 15 years later. (Verdict so far: I still hate the main character's spinelessness, and I think the giant robots are grossly incongruous to the theme, but I respect it a lot more.)
Is that the series or the "film" - it's been a long time since I watched anything Evangelion.
Wesley Street
Jan 21 2009, 02:45 PM
Playing: I just finished Fallout 3. Interesting but not completely satisfying. I'll exchange it at GameStop. I don't feel that it's worth a second play-through. Now I'm working my way through Mercenaries 2. I've started over a few times but I've now got the hang of it. Lots of fun!
Watching: Macross Zero fan-sub. Enjoyable but I'd kill for a Macross series without the requisite pop-idol/girlie-girl love-interest bullshit. I can't imagine why anyone would want to watch what's essentially a war story with a romance stapled into it. Macross is for guys. They want to see transforming jets shooting at each other. Trying to cross-market WAR for the ladies is always going to fail. This is why I liked Cowboy Bebop. Spike and Jet didn't have time for women. They kicked guys in the face and the only woman they ever loved betrayed them. That's a good story.
Reading: Wonder Woman: The Circle. Surprisingly good hardback comics collection by excellent writer Gail Simone of Birds of Prey fame. While Wonder Woman, the angry swimsuit model, will always be a ridiculous concept, this works. DC Comics is perpetually shooting itself in the foot by not allowing for a slight costume redesign.
Adarael
Jan 21 2009, 02:46 PM
The series, not the film.
I'm less annoyed by it now, I think, because I am much better able to see the effect it had on the form and marketability of more 'experimental' anime. I don't think anime like Serial Experiments Lain, Paranoia Agent, or even Ghost in the Shell 2 could have been made WITHOUT it being a roaring success despite rampant incoherency at parts.
Besides, it lead to FLCL, for which I am eternally grateful.
QUOTE
They kicked guys in the face and the only woman they ever loved betrayed them. That's a good story.
This is the truest thing I have read all week.
ravensmuse
Jan 21 2009, 05:44 PM
Playing - I just finished up Lego Star Wars Complete for the Ps3. I'm debating between trying to convince the girlfriend to free up some money for the first Penny Arcade adventures game and going back and finishing off my backlog, consisting of Folklore (Ps3), Metroid Prime 3 and Super Paper Mario (Wii)
Watching - Clone Wars, the new one on Cartoon Network. Not as over the top super-awesome as the Tartakovsky version (and nothing will ever top that one) but it's got everything I love about the Prequel era - Jedi masters, Clone Troopers, villainous badguys, and comic warmachines. The action, for a kid's show, is surprisingly hardcore.
Reading - Just finished up The Good Thief's Guide to Paris, which is a great action mystery book starring a part-time thief, full time author trying to figure out why there's a dead painter sitting in the living room of his apartment. Next I think I'll look out for Jennifer Government, which looks like a cross between Mirror's Edge and Shadowrun. The author of Paris reccomended it, so I'm going to track it down via the wonder of my local library.
Also, FLCL is one of the greatest things to come out of anime in like, ever.
PBTHHHHT
Jan 21 2009, 08:03 PM
QUOTE (ravensmuse @ Jan 21 2009, 12:44 PM)
Watching - Clone Wars, the new one on Cartoon Network. Not as over the top super-awesome as the Tartakovsky version (and nothing will ever top that one) but it's got everything I love about the Prequel era - Jedi masters, Clone Troopers, villainous badguys, and comic warmachines. The action, for a kid's show, is surprisingly hardcore.
Ugh, I saw the movie and an episode of this new stuff and I absolutely hate it. Terrible dialogue, terrible plots, contrived situations, stupid, stupid tactics. I'll shut up now.
Oh, someone mentioned Neon Genesis? Geez, that series will never die in Japan. When I was visiting Oasaka last summer, all the pachinko parlours that I walked past had the posters up everywhere on their windows and repeatedly blared out the theme song.
Oh, the maid cafe concept there... it was odd. I'm still trying to sort out why people go there often.
What I'm playing:
Team Fortress 2, on xbox360 and pc, and Left 4 Dead on the 360.
As for current books and movies:
I just finished the Fables graphic novels, all 11 of them, waiting for the 12th one to come out in the summer.
Rereading A Small Colonial War.
As for movies... whatever is on HBO that catches my eye. I finally saw 300.
My roommate grabbed the Jericho series and I saw a bit of that. Interesting postapocalyptic series.
Been watching Tower of Druaga as it gets released on youtube/crunchyroll. They've been simultaneously releasing it in Japan and subtitled which is great. Good fun fantasy series based off an old videogame, a few episodes were great as it made fun of the fantasy genre and rpg genre. Also been watching a bit of Tytania, it's the only serious scifi anime series coming out that has catched my eye, the novels were written by the same guy who did Legend of Galactic Heroes.
Wesley Street
Jan 21 2009, 08:41 PM
QUOTE (PBTHHHHT @ Jan 21 2009, 03:03 PM)
Ugh, I saw the movie and an episode of this new stuff and I absolutely hate it. Terrible dialogue, terrible plots, contrived situations, stupid, stupid tactics. I'll shut up now.
So, in other words... it's a
Star Wars movie. No, it won't win any awards but it isn't as terrible as everyone claims it is. It's surprisingly watchable for a kids' movie.
QUOTE (ravensmuse @ Jan 21 2009, 12:44 PM)
Next I think I'll look out for Jennifer Government, which looks like a cross between Mirror's Edge and Shadowrun. The author of Paris reccomended it, so I'm going to track it down via the wonder of my local library.
It's good. It's more like
Snow Crash meets
1984 meets
Wall Street with a little
THX 1138 thrown in. It's an intelligent hyper-satire though there is a little bit of action if I recall; the conversion of the NRA into a private mercenary contractor was chuckle-worthy.
ravensmuse
Jan 21 2009, 09:02 PM
I didn't go into Clone Wars expecting Shakespear. I went into it expecting - surprise - Prequel era Star Wars. Which means it must have: Jedi, Clone and ARC Troopers, CIS battle droids, decent (snappy) dialogue, and good fight scenes - all of which the series has.
They've killed people on this show, on and off screen. Two of them have gotten lightsabers through the chest. The battle droids had an episode where they traveled through the ruins of a capital ship cutting into escape pods to kill the captive crews inside while humming. They've even done Clone Trooper-centric episodes focused just on the clones (with a single ARC) with no Jedi in sight. Very same episode, they name-dropped the 501st!
Plus there's been new planets, new characters, they've allowed the non-martial characters like Padme and Jar Jar to have center stage - it's not just Jedi blow up machines, here you go! Heck, my very favorite episode so far was the very first one, where Yoda and a small squad of Clones are traveling cross-country to make a meet-up they're late for.
I mean, I know it's quite popular to look down with a sniff on anything Star Wars nowadays but shit, it's a good series full of action and adventure for little kids and lots of little things for the parents to latch onto. They've had a fight with IG-88 droids; I mean come on.
ravensmuse
Jan 21 2009, 09:04 PM
QUOTE (Wesley Street @ Jan 21 2009, 03:41 PM)
It's good. It's more like Snow Crash meets 1984 meets Wall Street with a little THX 1138 thrown in. It's an intelligent hyper-satire though there is a little bit of action if I recall; the conversion of the NRA into a private mercenary contractor was chuckle-worthy.
It's not like, crazy serious is it? I'm not in the mood for serious dystopia lately. The author made it sound upbeat and a little wacky.
Wesley Street
Jan 22 2009, 02:54 PM
When you have characters named Julia Nike-McDonalds and Jennifer Government (all of the characters' surnames are taken by their employers; even the protagonist's daughter has the last name of Mattel as it's the company that owns the elementary school) it's hard to claim that it's a "serious" (re: depressing) dystopia. But it's not woka-woka-woka! crazy either. If you're familiar with the works of James Morrow (ie:
Towing Jehovah), it's that level of serious. If you're expecting two-fisted pistol action and kick-flips across hyper-urban landscapes you may be disappointed. The cover blurb that compares it to "The Matrix" is highly misleading and makes me wonder if the reviewer even read the book or just looked at the dust jacket art. It's more of a police procedural than a postcyberpunk action romp.
Oooo, apparently there's a browser-based Jennifer Government simulation game:
http://www.nationstates.net/.
ravensmuse
Jan 22 2009, 04:59 PM
We need more wocka-wocka dystopia.
Like, Big Brother is Fozzie and the Black Bug Room is full of cream pies.
PS - Picked up The Devil Wears Prada instead. Got an idea for a solo game for the girlfriend...
Critias
Jan 22 2009, 05:34 PM
Reading category update: Been down and out with a sinus infection lately, and decided that I just couldn't stand studying the whole time. I started and finished Only in Death, the latest Gaunt's Ghosts novel. It was exactly what I was expecting, comfortably okay military sci-fi. I like Major Rawne because he's a bastard, and he had some good face-time in this one, so I was content.
Next up, I'm finally getting started on some of The Dresden Files books. My wife's been telling me I'll love 'em for years, so I'm caving and about to start on the first one.
paws2sky
Jan 22 2009, 06:17 PM
Reading:
* Sadly... nothing right now. Haven't have the urge to hit the library lately. Its too cold.
Watching:
* Recently watched D-Wars (Dragon Wars), which was surprisingly fun. I picked it up for a couple bucks when I wa shunting for a B movie and I think it was well worth it. It's still a B movie, but its actually pretty good, especially for a first time director.
* Waiting for Volume 4 of Heroes to start up. No idea if it will suck or not, but I'm going to watch it anyway.
Playing:
* Team Fortress 2, but its getting stale
* Warhammer Online, which I'll be dropping this soon because I just can't get into it.
* LEGO Star Wars 1, LEGO Star Wars 2, and LEGO Indiana Jones. What can I say? My son and I are mildly obsessed with all things LEGO.
* Shadowrun 4, just joined a new group. Hopefully it will run for a while, because I'm really wanting to do some playing, rather than GMing all the time.
* Hopefully, I'll be able to start alternating my own SRM Denver with a friend's 7th Sea game soon.
-paws
InfinityzeN
Jan 23 2009, 04:28 PM
Reading:
Dragons Wild [Robert Asprin],
For Those Who Fell [William C Dietz
Legion Series Book 6]
Watching: Movie buff. I own over 2000 dvds plus got netflix (so I get streaming & to my door). Not big on TV though. I watched
Black Sheep last night and I have to say that it was a really enjoyable campy mock horror romp. I think I'll stick some geneticly engeenered blood thirsty sheep into my game sometime to keep my players on their toes.
Playing: Fallout 3. Fable 2. Gears of War 2. Oh, P&P I run SR4. I think one of the guys is going to start running a game soon though! YEA! I might get to play for the first time in 5 years!
pbangarth
Jan 25 2009, 02:26 AM
Reading:
The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein - a treatise on the way corporate/government collusion uses disaster and catastrophe (military coup, 9/11, Hurricane Katrina) as opportunities to force extreme capitalism onto those who would otherwise resist. Obvious connections to Shadowrun. Early in the book, but a good read so far.
Watching:
Flashpoint on TV. Really good stories and acting, and it takes place in my home town, Toronto. Tactics melded with decency. What a concept.
Playing:
Nothing. Currently living in a small town in the frozen woods of Alberta. The one and only game store never heard of Shadowrun. Lots of Warhammer, though. You'd think in a redneck town full of hunters and snowmobilers there would be interest in a game rife with shooting stuff. I should make some effort to get people hooked.
Got Civilization IV finally... my video card doesn't have enough memory. Easy to fix? Not in a laptop.
Fix-it
Jan 25 2009, 02:58 AM
NYC2123a graphic novel thingy. haven't read yet, but seeing as it's cyberpunk i figure i'd post it here.
Synner667
Jan 28 2009, 08:53 PM
Reading : Finished Legion of the Damned = ok, but typical of 90's gung-ho American military sci-fi. Now moving onto Mindstar Rising for the nth time [cyberpunk set in the UK, after global economic, political and environmental troubles]
Watching : Just watched Heavy Metal, the animated 90's movie = interesting ideas, animation style is very old fashioned, but the soundtrack is great !!
Kanada Ten
Jan 31 2009, 05:12 PM
Reading - Excession by Iain M Banks. (Worst Banks I've read.) Thinking about reading Matthiessen's The Snow Leopard next.
Watching - NA
Playing - ugh, WOW (Japanasuit: "The Halloweeners are causing problems down by the docks. We need to thin down their numbers, so'ka? Bring me 15 of their masks." *return with masks: rewarded 15 nuyen, reputation with Shiawase +250* "The Halloweeners are too organized. This new leader is making trouble for our business interests. Kill him and bring me his flamer." /die
Wesley Street
Feb 2 2009, 03:40 PM
QUOTE (Kanada Ten @ Jan 31 2009, 12:12 PM)
Reading - Excession by Iain M Banks. (Worst Banks I've read.)
That would be
Inversions for me. I hated
Excession on the first read. Liked it the second time.
Synner667
Feb 9 2009, 09:05 PM
Reading : Ravenor - WH40K trilogy featuring Eisenhorn's protege Ravenor in Inquisitional romping through the Imperium of Man [lovely mix of steampunk-eque action/feel and Cthulhu-esque Big Bad Monsters].
Watching : Just bough Appleseed Ex Machina and Ghost In The Shell : Stand Alone Complex box set 1 - Looking forward to both for ideas, background and inspiration.
Synner667
Feb 24 2009, 10:29 PM
Just finished Market Forces [by Richard Morgan, of the Takeshi Kovacs trilogy] - Life and times of a Corporate Executive. Set in an England, with clear lines of haves and have notes, promotion is via ritualised car and gum combat.
Interesting to see the "other" view, and lots of things for a group to do in a Corp-based game [and excellent material for SLA Industries or Corporation]
Backgammon
Feb 25 2009, 03:13 AM
QUOTE (Backgammon @ Jan 18 2009, 04:59 PM)
Reading: I'm currently a bit more than half way through Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Price. When that's done, I've got The Steel Remains by Richard Morgan ready to go. REEEAALLY looking forward to that one.
Movies/TW: Looking forward to Terminator 4 and Watchmen mostly. TV-wise, the upcoming last season of Battlestar has me and my wife very excited, Lost and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles are what I watch. Plus I started watching Entourage on my newly acquired HBO Canada which is pretty cool.
Gaming: Finishing up FarCry 2, which is pretty mediocre. I've got Gears of Wars 2 still in shrinkwrap, but I need to go buy a 2nd xbox remote so I can split-screen with my wife. On my shortlist is then Fable 2, but what I'm really looking forward to is the new Total War (for PC) coming up. There's tons of good games lining up, but for now that's what I have my eyes on.
Time for an update -
Reading: Finished both Harry Potter and The Steel Remains. Half-Blood price was best Potter so far, very enjoyable. Steel Remains was good. I found Morgan's sci-fi better than this fantasy though. I don't know if he's planning a trilogy, but the book is set up for sequels, if he wants.
Movies/TV: No update. Sarah Connor Chronicles started back. A bit slow so far. I give them benefit of the doubt. Whedon's Dollhouse is now playing. Not very good so far, but I can see potential. Have to remember Whedon's shows get better over time.
Gaming: FarCry 2 - argh. So boring. Finally finished it. It had some redeeming points, but overall, not a very good game. Did not touch Gears 2 yet. Got Fable II, and finished it. I enjoyed it immensily, and a surprise hit with the wife too. So very good game there. Unfortunatly my 360 HD died today. There go all my save games
ravensmuse
Feb 25 2009, 12:22 PM
Ouch, I feel your pain Backgammon.
Update!
Reading - Syrup, Max Barry. The book he wrote before Jennifer Government (which was excellent! This is definite SR material!), this one about a marketer with an awesome idea for Coke in a black can, a corporate assassin named 6, and the coolest Korean this side of The Dude. I haven't been able to put too much of a dent in it yet as I've been so tired from work, but it's classic Barry humor.
Watching - The Soup, Clone Wars, Dog the Bounty Hunter, Burn Notice, Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory, (*cough*) American Idol. I'll admit it; I'm a big pop culture junkie. I blame my girl. But The Soup makes reality tv palatable, I love how manipulated Idol is, and I'm a softie: I love Dog. I think that for all the cowboy shit that he gets accused for (some of it warranted, honestly) he's a good guy doing a hard job trying to make a difference in people's lives. He apologizes to the criminals he catches for being an adrenaline junkie and they make sure to bring a cooler full of water & soda and clean shirts and stuff to give to the people they catch. He just seems like a nice guy.
By the way, when I finally get around to writing that campaign thing in Hawaii, Dog is so going in there. As a troll.
Playing - Wario Ware: Shake It!, The Force Unleashed, No More Heroes. Old school platforming goodness with a meaty center, force chokes, and cutting people in half. I love video games.
My favorite right now is Force Unleashed. Where else can you get a power where you levitate people, leave 'em hanging in the air, and then toss shit at them? And if they don't die from the first wave? Throw your lightsaber through them. I laugh like a mad man when I play this game.
paws2sky
Feb 25 2009, 03:55 PM
Quick update:
Reading:
- Blue Jean Buddha. I'm not sure why, but I saw this on display at the library and felt compelled to pick it up. I haven't really had a chance to start reading it yet.
EDIT: I love Google Books. It gives me something to do during my downtime at work. Anyway... Wow! This actually ties into Shadowrun, if you can believe that. There's a story starting on page 22 that screams "Runners Way" physical adept. But then it gets better at the bottom of page 25, when the guy starts talking about Tendi Monks from Japan. My god. There are some freakin' adepts! Linky
Just Watched:
- Spiderwick Chronicles. Surprisingly fun. Its a fairy tale (literally) that isn't dumbed down. In fact, several of the fairies are kind of nasty.
- Coraline 3-D. Pretty good fairytale. Very kid friendly, despite what you may have heard. Technically, the 3-D effects are much better than they used to be, though it seems to work best for adding depth to still and slow moving objects; when things start moving too fast, there's a very annoying motion blur.
Playing:
- Team Fortress 2. I'm not sure why, but this just keeps drawing me back. Scout update is supposed to be out this week. I can't wait to see how the new unlock items actually play.
- Starcraft. The Original & Brood War. Another old addiction that has drawn me back. Easy enough that my 5yr old has (mostly) figured out how to play, which has made for some fun, but unproductive weekends lately.
-paws
kanislatrans
Mar 2 2009, 03:02 AM
Reading Harlequin and Harlequins back- for research purposes. Runners companion- cause I just got it. Love RC so far, played around with making an infected and a SURGE'd character this afternoon. Not ad easy build on either but I think if you put some time and background into them it could be fun.
Watching Babylon A.D.- not bad over all. Vin Diesel is...well, Vin Diesel...nothing new there. The movie had some good points but ending was a disapointment. nice visuals of NY that are SR'ish. I'd give it 2.5 stars.
Metalocalypse: season 1: all i can say is"All Hail Dethklok!!!"
Playing Mass Effect- love it. am playing probably my 15th run through. Perfect Dark: Zero.- Pretty but I am having issues with the controls. Probably me though. had a similar issue with Fable 2, B button casts spells in that one, kept scaring the peasants with lightning .
Challenger
Mar 3 2009, 09:56 AM
Reading: Thud!(Discworld); Sharpe's Triumph(Sharpe); and White Night(The Dresden Files). That, and the Dark Heresy critical hit tables.
Playing: Freelancer, which makes my recently-finished playthrough the fifth, I should think. And a bit of Rise of Nations. My computer is completely incapable of running anything that's been released after '05.
Chrysalis
Mar 3 2009, 11:06 AM
Reading: US Senate Manual; documentation on bluebird, artichoke, MKDELTA, MKULTRA; Conspiracy X: Aegis Handbook; Conspiracy X 2.0; Neo-Anarchist Guide to North America; The Lucifer Effect: How Good People Turn Evil
Watching: CSI Miami - S07E16
Wesley Street
Mar 3 2009, 03:24 PM
QUOTE (Chrysalis @ Mar 3 2009, 06:06 AM)
Watching: CSI Miami - S07E16
Take the sunglasses off. Put the sunglasses on. Snarky quip.
ravensmuse
Mar 3 2009, 05:18 PM
QUOTE (Wesley Street @ Mar 3 2009, 10:24 AM)
YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Chrysalis
Mar 3 2009, 08:39 PM
Be glad they did not choose Keanu Reeves as CSI Miami's Horatio Caine.
-Chrysalis
ravensmuse
Mar 3 2009, 09:01 PM
Yeah, instead it would be
WHOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
Wesley Street
Mar 3 2009, 10:05 PM
Det. Caine: "Strange things are afoot...
[puts on sunglasses]
[beat]
Det. Caine: "...at the Circle-K."
[fade]
SFX: YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!
Actually, that would freaking rock.
Stahlseele
Mar 5 2009, 12:01 AM
Who watched the Watchmen?
i know i did, and it freaking rocked, even with the german synchro for Rohrschach sucking Manhattens thermonuclear Dong . .
Pretty much Blood and Gory innards Style, but eh . . somehow i think it hasn't even gotten the 18/NC Mark over here yet O.o
Best scenes:
"The World will look up to me and shout 'SAVE US!' and i will whisper 'NO!'"
"I AIN'T TRAPPED IN HERE WITH YOU! YOU ARE TRAPPED IN HERE WITH ME!"
Zhan Shi
Mar 5 2009, 05:20 AM
Reading: The Encyclopedia of Things That Never Were.
Watching: Monstervision, a show hosted by Joe Bob Briggs (real name: John Bloom) from 1996-2000 on TNT. I had thought the show was lost forever, but I've discovered an active community that preserves/trades/sells old episodes. Sent some rare ones out for remastering; they should look really sweet when the project is completed. Its a shame that TNT cancelled this program. Being able to watch it again has brought back some good memories.
ravensmuse
Mar 5 2009, 12:05 PM
Man, Monstervision used to be my younger selves reason to stay up late in the summer! There were all sorts of terrible movies on there. That's awesome that there's a community preserving them.
Zhan Shi
Mar 5 2009, 11:05 PM
QUOTE (ravensmuse @ Mar 5 2009, 07:05 AM)
Man, Monstervision used to be my younger selves reason to stay up late in the summer! There were all sorts of terrible movies on there. That's awesome that there's a community preserving them.
Yeah, it blew my mind when I found out. These guys are a niche market...well, really a niche of a niche...but they are dedicated.
Should anyone out there like to contribute to the cause (by sending those old Monstervision episodes in for preservation), or would like to get hooked up with the community, PM me and I'll give you the info.