The Loquacious Lord Grimm

It's that time again.

 

National Novel Writing Month.

 

Hmm.

 

 

Everyone has a story; most everyone, anyway.

Sometimes it comes in the form of a novel, and some years, you might want to try to devote November to finally getting that first draft written.

But it doesn't always have to be a novel. Our greatest or most dear creations can take the form of short stories, visual art, music, the perfect D&D campaign, an RP, or (heaven help us) a Blades scenario.

 

So take a moment and share what you've been creating. You never know where it can go.

 

 

 

I, for one, am devoting NaNoWriMo this year to a webcomic that I've been stalling on for far too long, in hopes that I can turn the daily devotion into a habit.

 

The Silent Assassin doesn't plan on writing much this month, except perhaps a few scathing movie reviews, the next chapter of his autobiography, a few dozen post-it notes, one or two e-mails a day, and a long letter to Dear Abbey.

 

People from SpidWeb have joined already. And are badass.

Join us. You must join us youmustjoingusyoumus...

Don't encourage them, Tyran. Minecraft addiction is a serious thing.

 

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The Silent Assassin wishes you pie, prosperity, and good hunting through the next solar revolution. In the event that none of these happen, he wishes that the pie you won't get goes to him.

Yes, extremely cool.

 

 

@actaeon- you've been here how long, and you're just now realizing?

 

 

EDIT: By the time I caught the typo, it had already posted, and the mobile page wouldn't let me edit it. It's fixed now. Jeez.

 

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The Silent Assassin is testing this fancy new ipb for mobile thing. So far, the autocorrect isn't too bad, but the lack of formatting options is a little frustrating.

Also, it needs more pie.

I'm pretty sure if some level 2 adventurers were walking around carrying a Black Halberd some guard will just slap you and snatch it from you.

 

Yet we assume that placing the powerhouse item nearer the starting point means that the player would be able to access it immediately. Presuming that the same Rakshasi hold the Halberd, regardless of location, a level 10 party would no sooner be able to obtain it than a level 2. If it were located, for example, right outside the starting point, and the player were actually able to access the dungeon, that player would eventually either learn that the cave is beyond their current capability and come back later, or grow frustrated and stop playing.

 

We naturally assume that content further in the game's progress will be harder than currently accessible areas: such is good balance and design, as we understand it. Truly open worlds, which disrupt what we believe to be a natural flow, disrupt our expectations of progressive skill building. and many games built on open worlds and exploration (think metroidvania style) have to reinforce the concept of backtracking very early on in order to ensure that the player gets used to passing areas up and coming back when they're ready. Most games that work with this concept also give some very obvious hints that the player is not yet prepared for what lies beyond, by requiring certain equipment before allowing passage.

 

Granted, Jeff has safeguards built into his world (reputation, money requirements, sub-quests, and ultimately the maps and associated SDFs) that would easily prevent a fresh party from even knowing about high-end dungeons near the starting point, let alone access them, and so there are few real reasons for there not to be a high-end dungeon hidden near start, which is Trenton's point.

 

 

My guess would be real estate. The dungeons in Krizan Province (with a few Orb of Thralni-required exceptions) are designed with the goal of training a fresh party to get out and explore, and in explaining the reactions that the world will have to the actions that the player takes, when relevant.

With all of those starter and intermediate dungeons spread through the area, it seems like a bit too much to cram in that extra high-end dungeon when there's so much space elsewhere.

Further, placing the Black Halberd quite out of the way both encourages and rewards player exploration, which is what E3 is about.

As for only having the high-end spells at the very end... well, in-universe it seems logical for the best mage to be with the Queen. Otherwise, well, again, there's no reason why one couldn't have an arch-wizard hanging around teaching newbies for personal amusement, giving a small taste of the power that can be obtained with a ton of money and experience. That one's a matter of writer preference.

 

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The Silent Assassin points out that the Mystical Item of Doom has to be in a dungeon near the end, or there's no point of having a game in between.

[/topic_hibernation]

 

 

An impossible woman, a sulky millenarian, a new desktop theme, a set of recurring characters, and the voice of Ian McKellen bring us the only bit of savory Whovian goodness that we'll have to hold us over until April.

And of course, the big question: did this intro remind you of some things you may have seen before?

 

 

 

 

My greatest hope is that further developments will justify the time spent with Amy and Rory this fall as foreshadowing elements instead of mere fanservice. Time, of course, will tell.

 

EDIT: ooh. thought.

 

 

 

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The Silent Assassin suspects that Strax is actually the Master in disguise. Also, he really wants a memory worm.

Is that why you were talking about the goose in the apocalypse thread (congrats on its success, btw) ?

 

Eh, lock it if you want, and mock me all you please.

Enjoy your celebrations, whatever they may be.

Bump appreciated and seconded.

I'm interested.

...if you need to send out a rapid hail of gunfire to get your target you have no business using a gun. If you can't manage in the capacity of a normal magazine something is wrong.

 

Truth.

 

 

I too, while supporting the right to own firearms, see no reason for civilians to carry automatic weapons. While a single shot can be used for sport, or to disarm or disable, a spray of bullets only either controls crowds or kills.

.

@Nioca:

After my high school's first big bomb scare (circ 2000), we started doing disaster drills. Alongside of the regular state-mandated fire drills, evacuations, and, after 9/11, blackouts, there was a plan for the event in which a shooter entered the building. It's very simple: shut the lights off, grab EVERYTHING, and cram everyone against the wall that has the door, then lock the door, thus making it look like the room is unused, and therefore giving no reason for anyone to enter. Given the layout of our classrooms, this would also put any invader at physical disadvantage, as their position would be given away by entry, and they would be most vulnerable while getting through the door.

Past that, it was never said outright, but it was implied that the teacher or a physically larger student would have to engage the invader outright.

It's not technically a barricade, mind you, and thinking about it, such methods would only work for the (relative) maturity of older students, but at least we understood that that though the event of a threat on the school was remarkably unlikely, the preparation would still be of benefit.

 

Most schools around here now require keycards for entry or have remote-controlled locks (show your PID to the camera), so getting in to drop off a friend's forgotten lesson plans is a huge pain, let alone trying to break in.

I used to think such measures were excessive, as it is quite easy to get through security with the proper reason and sufficient patience, and so a cold-blooded murderer could easily lie their way in. Of course, in the years since, I've learned that such measures are excellent deterrents for crimes of passion or stupidity (that first bomb scare, for example, involved a student who came to school high, and thought it would be a hilarious practical joke.)

 

 

Oooh. Thought, considering barricades: you know those roll-down garage-like metal doors that are used for shops and such when they're closed (I see them all the time in Camden. even churches use them)? I wonder how much it would cost to install those, like on the inside of a classroom door frame. It's a better barricade than just a lock, and while not outright bulletproof, it would certainly help.

 

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The Silent Assassin wishes you a Happy Hanukkah. Because he hasn't done so yet.

In the U.S., we also have the complication of a certain Constitutional provision explicitly granting all citizens the right to own weaponry. Given its origins and intent, and its continuing applicability (I live ten minutes from Camden, NJ, and the escalation of violence there is not something one can merely legislate away; the state has been trying for decades. Also, most of the weapons used in the current record-breaking murder streak were obtained illegally.), one cannot deny that right.

 

On the other hand, it also is very true that the social responsibilities of government demand a very strict regulation of the trafficking of weapons. In New Jersey, there is a very extensive process (spanning from six months to two years, depending on how hard one fights through the bureaucracy) of paperwork, training, and referral designed to only grant licenses to determined, responsible citizens. Yet ultimately this only discourages future escalation, it doesn't outright prevent anything, and it solves nothing.

 

Trying to find a balance between the two (and in this regard, I'm all for regulation and documentation, as it allows for the fulfillment of rights while discouraging the abuse thereof) has been of major political importance in the US for many decades. After all, while a man is entitled to hunt and defend himself... in the eyes of most victims of gun violence, direct or indirect, the exisence of even one gun in the world is one too many.

One of our local news personalities actually did an interview with President Obama on Thursday, and one of the topics covered was, ironically enough, gun violence. They've only released snippets so far, but I will post a link if they actually put the whole thing up. From what I've seen, it will be very informative.

 

 

 

As for Sandy Hook itself, I am praying that more information surrounding the shooter's motives comes to light; thus quelling the wild mass guessing of the world, and answering that most grave question that plagues us all right now: why children?

 

And while the controversey of availability of firearms and other issues (I have seen people cite this tragic event as support for regulation of firearms, deregulation of firearms, tighter inter-state security (seriously), a cry against abortion, and an entire network of people I know have used it to justify their opinion that public schools are evil) may come up, I think we need to drop the self-righteous tirades and the crusades long enough to properly mourn the fact that many lives have been unwillingly ended through the selfish and viloent acts of a single person. We must take the time to come to grips with the changes that we need to make within ourselves, as these will change the world far more quickly than mere regulation.

And then we must act upon them. Anything else would be disrespectful of the pure potential that died yesterday.

 

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The Silent Assassin has very little to say about gun control.

However, he is a trained infantry Rifleman, and shortly after he recieved this training, he pointed out to me that people who respect the power of their weapons do not use them lightly. It is, unfortunately, the people who do not respect that power that tend to wind up in the headlines.

He was, however, a conservative Catholic who created a pantheon with one supreme God but a lot of other beings who can really only be described as gods running around. Maybe the Trinity gets you used to such ideas? It's a strange thing.

 

Consider this: there is a theory that has cycled through Christian thinking for... centuries at least, that suggests that many ancient gods may have had their origins in actual spirits: angels, as we understand them. The more aggressive or vile ones would obviously be fallen angels or demons (Think about Sauron's history, for example, or the Balrogs), the benign or benevolent ones would possibly be either other fallen angels who had chosen to usurp God's authority but still be caring, or regular angels still fighting on God's side. Hence YHWH's self-proclaimed title, "The Most High God".

I would not be surprised at all (and it had been so long since I'd read the Silmarillion when I was introduced to this theory that I didn't make a connection until just now), if the higher figureheads from Tolkien's pantheon were merely Tolkien's incorporation of this idea.

 

Of course, said theory is based on snippets of text and apocryphal references, and the same logic might conclude that they were all, in fact, aliens, but it's still fun to think about.

 

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The Silent Assassin has been cycling through his wardrobe of Speedos and kimonos all day, underneath the safety equipment for the labs, of course.

It has just now occurred to me that it's casual Friday. Fail?

I play trumpet (was fairly active in high school and college, but now it's mostly just the occasional special church service), and am in the process of teaching myself piano and guitar. I also sing baritone and dabble a bit in composing and synthesizer.

The missus plays bari sax, but also owns an alto and soprano sax, which come out on occasion.

 

And Juan Carlo, my little brother plays tuba professionally. It's not that impractical

 

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The Silent Assassin plays the mouse organ. And you like a fool. And "Courage Alone Will Not Save You", which grants two extra units when defending a citadel.

Holey Carp! The fanfic that got dropped because of the Semester from Hell! I'd all but forgotten about it, save... um... well... yeah, as Tyran mentioned, I'm trying to put IPB's blog software to use.

I'm game.

the chitrach graphic in A4 was despised, and a fan made a new one that Jeff patched into the game. But most people lack the skills or the willingness to do it.

 

That was done in Blender, and had something like 64 frames, right? Has anyone tried to do anything similar since?

 

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The Silent Assassin welcomes you to our little section of the Interwebs, and hopes that Greg will bless and keep... you... door... sanity... turtles... tentacles... you get the idea.

Look at me, I can't even be bothered to take my own screenshot of this thread! I am truly the more optimal spammer!

Good Greg, I hope this doesn't become a new favorite meta-ing.

 

I also have two TF2 servers set up at be.calref.net port 27015 (MvM) and 27017 (Payload) as a demonstration to people of why they should throw money at me.

 

-pulls up steam favorites list-

 

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The Silent Assassin and the cat have apparently formed an unlikely alliance in the War Against All Things Pink. For some reason, both of them have gone and torn up the missus's favorite bean bag chair.

I'm noticing several other TF2 players here... has this commonality been discussed?

Behold.

 

I like having what I'm currently writing about in my face on those rare occasions that the desktop is actually visible.

Normally, Illustrator takes up the background.

in related news, my facebook feed is filled with comments about how america is ruined. I really need to re-evaluate who is on there.

I'd say that I'd be completely avoiding Facebook on account of that, but really, the people who did all of the complaining in 2008 never quite stopped.

So here's to another six months of "'til he's gone" countdowns clogging up our social news feeds, to the tireless complaining of sore losers who may never understand the groupthink in which they are embroiled, and to the gloating of those who will once again claim the President is our messiah and await his great peace on the earth.

 

As for the rest of us... hey, anyone else glad it's over?

 

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The Silent Assassin is calling all Spiderwebbers who are interested in making good on the claims to hunt down Actaeon for his last poll.

Meet him in the Richard White forum three weeks ago.

There's a rumor going around the office right now that the states hit by Sandy are going to be arranging for absentee and late ballots. I'm about to run off, can anyone confirm that?

Since Romney isn't going to win New Jersey anyway, I'd guess not.

Yeah, I know. Most of the areas that aren't union-controlled are heavily reliant on government aid. I've mentioned elsewhere, the Republicans don't even have an established presence in my area, and local elections are most frequently decided with the Dem primary.

But it's as much the principle of the act, isn't it?

Registered independant, as I openly disagree on significant issues with both major parties., voted in person at a booth for Romney.

Not sure if I'm going to regret it. Time will tell.

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The Silent Assassin knows that time will tell all, and thus has every clock in the neighborhood under regular recording surveillance, in the hopes that one of them will slip and reveal things early.