I used to think that the Bat-phone in the old Batman TV series was pretty cheesy, but with technology these days, I've started thinking. Why doesn't Batman just give Jim Gordon a special cell-phone or walkie-talkie that can't be traced. The Bat-Signal isn't exactly the best way to contact Batman, is it? I mean, what if Batman's out of the city, visiting his Justice League pals, when The Joker breaks lose and goes on killing spree. Batman can't exactly see the bat-signal from Metropolis, Happy Harbor or wherever else he's needed. Does Gordon end up standing on the roof, waiting for him, while Batman's orbitting the Earth in a space station? Does he get worried when Batman doesn't show? ("Maybe the Joker killed him...") You'd think that, after all these years, Batman would trust Gordon enough to at least give him a pager number.
Hugh Jackman has been cast as Van Helsing in the movie due out next year. The movie will be directed by the same guy that directed The Mummy and The Mummy Returns. After seeing the pictures on the website flash animation, I am really looking forward to this movie.
Another vampire movie I'm really looking forward to and won't have to wait as long for is Underworld. It looks like it's borrowing a lot of its feel from White Wolf's World of Darkness. Maybe they can pull it off better than Kindred: The Embraced, the TV show based on the Vampire RPG that I kind of liked but it could have been done a lot better.
(Via Form Follows Function)
Why do you roleplay?
There are several things I get out of roleplaying. The main thing is the social interaction. It's a reason to get together with a bunch of creative friends each week and tell stories together. When GMing, I also enjoy the creative challenge. Coming up with an entertaining story and adapting and ad-libbing as the players do their things. As a player, I enjoy building what I hope is an interesting character with an interesting personality and trying to have that character's interesting nature and unique point of view come out in play.
What do you look for in a game?
There's so much to say....
I want to have fun. I like to tell good stories, but even when games I run go way astray or games I play in aren't as amazingly deep in the story element I had hoped for, I'm happy if everyone seemed to have fun. It can be the lamest plot, but if there were plenty of smiles at the end of the game, it matters not.
I don't usually like games that are out-right silly, but I want a little bit of light-heartedness.
I guess I'm demanding, because I also want the serious, high drama scene. Not every game, but often enough to keep things dramatic.
As a player, I like a game that let's my character and his or her more dramatic elements shine at least once per game. If I'm playing a strong character (like Griffin), I want the strength to play a pivotal role in events at some time, either saving the day as he hold open a door as his friends . If my character's a very emotional, dramatic character, like Lilly (my Champions character), I want to be able to play out those emotions. Whether my character is devious, honest, caring or cruel, I want one of the traits of his personality or his main abilities to be important at some time in the event of the game.
Both as a GM and as a player, I like dramatic action and combat. I could never stand when I played games and the characters actions each round of combat was :"I hit him. I roll a 16." Jump around! Pick up things! Make things interesting! As a player I like the environment being described by the GM and becoming important to a fight or action scene. Combats happen on the top of buildings with opponents trying to shove me off of the rooftop. Superhero combats have characters flung through walls and tossing cars at eachother. Swordfights happen on staircases and in dining rooms with opponents flinging chairs in the way and hopping up on the table. As a GM I like when the players describing their actions dramatically and visually. Even in they are just talking in a scene, I want a feel of how they gesturing.
I want some romantic/emotional elements, but I never seem to be able to roleplay them well as a GM or a player. Still, romantic subplots seem to make the games have more meaning and a level of emotion that they are often missing and I really appreciate a GM that can do them well.
I can go on and on. I'm demanding. Both in games I play in and games I run, I always want more. Sure, I believe that if we had fun it was a success, but I always walk away thinking "that could have been better."
Do you consider yourself a good player?
Sometimes.
Sometimes I find the character and can play it to the hilt. Sometimes, I play a character that interactacts well with others and let's them shine as well. (Like an actor needs to share a scene and not steal it, a roleplayer needs to allow others to get their airtime.) When I find my character and remember this lesson, I feel I'm a good roleplayer.
At other times, I don't know. At times I feel I too often over-play my characters or play characters that are so over-the-top that it's distracting for other players. (For this reason, I talked the GM in my Champions game to work in a plot that the old obnoxious Chango I used to play was part of a curse put on him by an NPC in his past and once it was removed I could play a dramatically toned down Chango. Chango was a scene-stealer and always had to be the center of attention and I felt it was gettingold and was afraid I might bother the other players.)
At other times, especially if I'm tired, I don't feel I'm acting enough. My characters stay quiet and just wait for a GM to supply a plot.
This week's Role Call question is: "In what genre do you absolutely refuse to play?"
While there are certain genres of movies & TV shows I've had no interent in seeing, I can only think of one game setting I've ever refused right out. A friend once tried to convince me to play Recon, a roleplaying game of Vietnam. I'm sorry, but that was a little more reality than I want in roleplaying. However, I've recently been thinking about a game of the Soap Opera genre and I HATE soap operas. For some reason, I think I'd like them better as a RPG. Maybe it's because I think most roleplayers are better actors. ;)
James Marsters ("Spike") has been talked about lately for the Elric role. I really like this casting. He has the look and can pull off the brooding, sardonic thing well.
I'm still slightly leaning towards Jude Law for my preference. He just looks more like Elric to me.
On many occassions, I've tried to find cool miniatures for a goth-punk (Changeling), cyberpunk or Superhero games and there aren't a lot out of there. I'm not looking for any now, but I feel I should share this link for anyone who may be looking: Street Violence. They look pretty neat and I could see a lot of use for them for anyone using minis when playing M&M, Champions/HERO, World of Darkness, Cyberpunk 2020 or D20 Modern.