Thread: Questioning chirine ba kal

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

(Also, I remember doing the "It's Sunday, buy this for less than cost so I don't have to pack it up again PLEASE!!!" at wargames cons...)

I'm also taking notes to visit all cons at the last day, if possible.

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

1.Oh, yes; good idea! Phil's vision of what Humanspace looked like was pretty much the 1939 World's Fair; Streamline Art Deco Moderne. I've collected a lot of images - amd stuff! - from that era, so as to be able to show people what he talked about. Movies, too!

2.I do like using 'period' decor in games. I use Ancient Egyptian, like Phil did, for the Engsvanyali period, as it has that timeless look of an eternal empire - as well as the formalism that the Priest-kings loved. Bednjallan as always been Meso-American in style for me, as the 'earlier' and more dynamic look seems to fit them better. I like to have 'decor' from these period for the game table - I certainly do understand the "Theater of the Mind' approach that Gronan mentioned in the thread on Virtual Table Tops, but that's not an approach I would use in my play. Having the visual cues for players is a very important part of my game, as it both tells them what's going on and encourages looking things up, is a lot of fun for me.

3.I will admit that I am aided and abetted by the Missus in this. Back when she could still walk for more then short distances, she went through the International Marketplace at the Minnesota State Fair, and came home with a huge bag of goodies. She'd gone on the last day of the event, and she was able get stuff at silly discounts as vendors didn't want to pack up all the left-overs; me, I can use little reed boats, assorted bits from Egyptian chess sets, leather dispatch bags, and papyrus documents. All part of the stuff I use to entertain and amaze.

4.And, he said with an air of quiet pride, it all will see fruition in the project I am now embarking on. I have now some fifty years of model-building, forty years of gaming, and more then a decade of show production and theatrical experience to call upon. Strong men will faint; brave women will tremble; the OSR will develop a rash. My enemies, even unto the uttermost generations yet unborn, will curse even as they are cast into the pits of despair. When Gronan looks upon what what I have wrought, an agonized cry will be summoned forth from the very depths of his soul and rent from every fiber of his being - the ancient cry that, in days of yore, used to resound across the third floor of Coffman Union at meetings of the Conflict Simulation Association and which struck fear into the stout hearts of the gamers there as it announced that I was running another game: "YOOOOUUUU BASTAAAARD!!!" And behold! As this cry echoes across the universe, the very heavens will open, and the Great Gods (in alphabetical order) Dave, Gary, and Phil will speak unto the players and say, "Your goose is well and truly cooked."

And I - I, in this the moment of my greatest and penultimate triumph - will modestly acknowledge the the fame and ovation of the people, and with a shy and modest smile playing across my lips in the very best Boys' Own Paper tradition of manliness in the face of peril, will turn over the sand glass and speak the incantation that will shake the very foundations of reality and sunder the fabric of Time and Space: "Roll percentile dice for for Turn One, please."

Yes, it's going to be one of those games...

1. The beauty of the interweb! See, it does have some uses other than being a repository of porn, and mindless memes. Before discovering this thread I wouldn't have known that a large part of Tekumel's early roots came from the world of 1930's and 1940's sci-fi. Personally, I love the art-deco retro futurism of that period. I'm also always on the look out for suitable images to use. BTW, did you ever see the "Human Space Empires" web page? There is also a really nice set of Beta form rules which can be downloaded. I have been using the weapon stats for energy weapons, and what not, in my Tekumel campaign for some time now. Very easy to integrate into an EPT/1e AD&D based game.

2. Me too. Currently, I am using a Mayan/Aztec fusion to represent the minions of the Pariah God worshipping city state that the party is up against. For the good guys I am using a medieval Burmese/Nepalese fusion. As this chapter of my Tekumel Campaign is set in the period of the Three States of the Triangle I figure that I've pretty well got free rein. Even created some new gods, as I figured the normal ones either wouldn't be present, or be in forms quite different than in a traditional Tekumel game.

I'm not sure what you mean by a " 'Theatre of the Mind' approach". I am familiar with the old radio program, which I used to listen to repeats of on a local radio station in the early 80's, on Sunday evenings.

3. I envy you! A second set of eyes is fantastic, especially when it comes to getting some of the "oddball" stuff that can really make a memorable gaming session. Love using props in the game. I really hope the missus is doing well.

4. " Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends
We're so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside
There behind a glass stands a real blade of grass
Be careful as you pass, move along, move along...
...Come inside, the show's about to start
Guaranteed to blow your head apart..."


Shemek.

Originally Posted by AsenRG

I'm also taking notes to visit all cons at the last day, if possible.

Me too... I have only ever been to one con in my life, and the experience so turned me off of them that I never went back. However, I might have to re-evaluate my position and just go on the last day for all of the discounted goodies.

Shemek.

Last time I went to Dragon Con, in the dealers' room some gaming stuff about two years old was 2 for $15 on Thursday, 3 for $5 on Sunday.

Originally Posted by Shemek hiTankolel

4. " Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends
We're so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside
There behind a glass stands a real blade of grass
Be careful as you pass, move along, move along...
...Come inside, the show's about to start
Guaranteed to blow your head apart..."


Shemek.

If I had a dollar for every time Chirine sang that during our years with Akbar and Jeff's Traveling Tekumel Road Show, we'd ALL be rich.

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

If I had a dollar for every time Chirine sang that during our years with Akbar and Jeff's Traveling Tekumel Road Show, we'd ALL be rich.

Really? That's scary. Must be a generational thing, or something. Like the man said: "great minds think alike, and fools seldom differ", I guess.

Shemek

Huzzah! Looks like we are slowly getting our old emoticons back. I for one am a huge fan of the head banging on the wall emoji. Such an accurate portrayal of my working life... I hope that one comes back soon.

Shemek.

From AsenRG:
I can only say, the picture looked glorious!

Thank you - the Missus found this in a gift shop and thought of me.


Phil certainly had props we can't hope to match.
The part about the Sudanese is interesting. I might have to look into that, and it might spark an idea that the players will hate me for.
I'll report any progress here, of course!

(Yes, I know, weird stuff inspires me. I ran a one-year campaign by making a note about a trade discount in the price of armour, and a group that would have interest in increasing said discount).

We can get close, but I do agree - he was in the right places at the right times.

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

(Also, I remember doing the "It's Sunday, buy this for less than cost so I don't have to pack it up again PLEASE!!!" at wargames cons...)

Ain't it the truth. Although, we did get a lot of very useful stuff that way from some very nice people. The guys at Armory, RAFM, and Ral Partha always seemed to be happy to see us on Sunday mornings...

And, frankly, after a certain point when the merchandise has been sitting on the shelf for a long time, you've paid more to store and inventory the item(s) then they will ever bring back in a sale. One of the things that I admire about Fighting Bob of The Source is that he's got the sheer courage to pull stuff off the shelves after it's 'aged'. It does take a certain amount of nerve to do it.

Originally Posted by AsenRG

I'm also taking notes to visit all cons at the last day, if possible.

Good plan!!!