Observations of the Fox

 I pledged to the Altered Carbon RPG Kickstarter when it was going. It was meant to have been shipped in August 2020, but I guess COVID has stuffed up a lot of things this year. I have finally managed to have a look at the second version of the backer review copy of the game.   It looks alright. But as I read through it, I'm seeing lots of fiddly systems and subsystems. The core system looks interesting and fairly sturdy, with a system that's going to be a bit counter-intuitive to most gamers of mainstream systems. It's a roll under system, where characters start with a big die (a d12) as a crude level of skill/potential, and gradually get their die lower as they train and improve. Easy tasks have a high target number, while hard tasks have lower target numbers. Certain effects like having specialised equipment or training, seem to let you roll multiple dice (then pick the best result), while other effects modify the target number.  There's a few variations depending...

I've been generating a few more images for the current run of Beneath the Glass and Steel, where everything used to generate the images is either freely available, or public domain. Most of the aim at this point has been developing filler images with a range of cyberpunk environments, backgrounds, and key subjects that might work to illustrate concepts in the text... ...now it's a case of rounding up those phantom authors who've been owing me stories for the zine since March.    

I'm trying to get back into the habit of posting something here every day... and so far it seems to be working... it's just the habit I'm redeveloping so far, rather than trying to post meaningful game related things.  As a part of re-acquainting myself with the redesigned back-end of Blogger, I've found a bunch of comments on the blog dating back over the past three years. Comments that I didn't even know were there. I'm also getting stuck into the "Beneath the Glass and Steel" 'zines, particularly the images that will be going into them. Here's a sneak peek.   

 Most years, when I remember it, I do Inktober. This year I've been hearing controversies about Jake Richmond, the guy who founded Inktober ( here's a link to someone else's blog if you're interested , but I thin there were a coupleof other issues too), and was tossing up whether to participate. DeviantArt has specifically cancelled it's promotion of the event.  I usually try to combine a pair of lists to push myself artistically, then follow through into November by designing a game for NaGaDeMon inspired by my October works. Or I use Inktober to develop the artwork, then format them into a game. Johanus Battey shared a possible listing of artworks in the "RPG and Fantasy Writers and Artists" group on Facebook, so I'll probably be combining that with the Inktober listing. The list from Johanus The Inktober List That gives me... Fish Goblin Wisp Elf Bulky Demon Radio Redcap Blade Dwarf Rodent Bard Fancy Cleric Teeth Ratfolk Throw Sword Hope Wizard Disg...

I'm opening up the blog now to see what's been happening in the months of my absence.  It's been a weird year with the whole Australian summer bushfires leading prettymuch straight into the COVID-19 plague, and assorted chaos unfolding in the world as we watch the USA walking a fine line between anarchy, civil war, and impending fascism. I haven't had much chance to post here, but I keep meaning to. I've also been meaning to get a lot more work done on game design, whether that means a playable version of "Familiar", a playable version of "Bring Your Own Miniatures", or some expansion ideas for "The Law". Maybe next year.  I haven't even participated in any of the regular design contests that play out through the year. I did set up a Kickstarter that I've been struggling through (because many of the components needed have had trouble shipping due to COVID.   I really don't want to start anything else. I've got a break no...