Thread: Questioning chirine ba kal

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

The first two posts on our trip to CincyCon VIII are now up on my blog, with photos...

I will be reading it in full detail later. Truthfully, my first reaction is "Good for you two!" followed shortly thereafter upon reading a bit more of the text with "Oh, my aching ass." Travel just isn't as easy as it used to be, is it.

Originally Posted by AsenRG

Why didn't you hand it back to him and told him "your assignment isn't even half done - that's 31.5 times the amount of space you were allowed"?
Some day, I'd be tempted to explain Tekumel in two pages, myself. Those would be extremely densely-packed pages, but it still would be two pages. I'm just wondering how the Foundation would react if I was to put it on my blog!

I'm kinda that guy, though not when it comes to special effects...
Though, in my defence, I've learned not to share those observations. But don't ask me about the opinion after the movie, unless I say it was good!
Then again, lately I simply don't go to movies which contain the kind of details that would irk me.

They tend to forget that Phil did have a PhD, and not because of Tekumel - it's the other way around.

Also, I think it was in this thread. It sure made me laugh, because I'm calling "know the general outline, make up details when you get to them" my method of Lazy GMing for...close to a decade, now?
And I've caught some flak over it during the years, too. Including being accused of "making up the details to suit the story instead of presenting a fixed challenge" (Illusionism, in other words).

Those photos seem cool!

Because this is the guy who takes any critical response as being "gay persecution", with him as the oppressed target of same.

They'd get a rash, as it's more 'unauthorized, unofficial' work by the fans; they seem to really dislike that kind of thing.

Glad you like the photos; had a great time. Another post in the works, at the moment.

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

Because this is the guy who takes any critical response as being "gay persecution", with him as the oppressed target of same.

They'd get a rash, as it's more 'unauthorized, unofficial' work by the fans; they seem to really dislike that kind of thing.

Glad you like the photos; had a great time. Another post in the works, at the moment.

Yeah, someone should explain to him that you can be criticised for not completing the task you were given. Who you like to sleep with is subjective, but whether you turn up 2 pages or 63 is objective.

Then I think I should start work on it as soon as time permits!

Glad you had so much fun, Uncle! Though your van is the unsung hero of the story.
We'll be waiting for the updates, of course.

Originally Posted by Gronan of Simmerya

I will be reading it in full detail later. Truthfully, my first reaction is "Good for you two!" followed shortly thereafter upon reading a bit more of the text with "Oh, my aching ass." Travel just isn't as easy as it used to be, is it.

Yeah. The Missus has a couple of things like spinabifida and fibromyalgia that make sitting in the passenger seat really uncomfortable; I fully expected to cancel the whole trip, but she had That Look on her face and so we stopped every two hours to let her get out and stretch. Took 24 hours to do what's a nominal 11 hour drive, but then we're just not that young, any more. The stop also allowed us to raid the flight bags, which had to go in the back of the van, for snacks and fluids. We made it, there and back, and she got down to see the Thoroughbred Library. I got to talk miniatures all weekend, hobnobbed with a bunch of old TSR people, and had a very good time. Took the same time to get back, and it all worked out well; nothing broke or fell off.

This convention, coming as it did after a very good time at Con of the North, really jump-started my interest in gaming again. It was, as they say, a 'life-changing experience' after the last couple / three years of crap I've been dealing with.

Originally Posted by AsenRG

Yeah, someone should explain to him that you can be criticised for not completing the task you were given. Who you like to sleep with is subjective, but whether you turn up 2 pages or 63 is objective.

Then I think I should start work on it as soon as time permits!

Glad you had so much fun, Uncle! Though your van is the unsung hero of the story.
We'll be waiting for the updates, of course.

Can't; he simply does not understand the idea of brevity being wanted.

Hah! Would love to see it, too.

Another post done; more on the way. Yes, the poor old van really came through despite being loaded up. The books did serve as very welcome ballast, especially on the trip back home when we had torrential rains. I had to keep the speed up, as people were being run down and blown off the road in the wind and the rain, but we were very stable and had no problems. I love the thing; it now has over 328,000 miles on the clock...

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

Can't; he simply does not understand the idea of brevity being wanted.

Hah! Would love to see it, too.

Another post done; more on the way. Yes, the poor old van really came through despite being loaded up. The books did serve as very welcome ballast, especially on the trip back home when we had torrential rains. I had to keep the speed up, as people were being run down and blown off the road in the wind and the rain, but we were very stable and had no problems. I love the thing; it now has over 328,000 miles on the clock...

Amusingly, Uncle, that's almost exactly 13 times the length of the Equator! That car's a miracle of endurance.

Glad you travelled safely, despite the winds and rains, that's what counts in the end!

A very mundane question that might well have been answered 300 pages ago. If so, I apologize.

chirine ba kal,

How many players tended to be in a given session in Barker's games? How many players are in the Tékumel games you run?
How much play time session was about PCs running off to deal with their own errands and personal (if any) storylines? How much was spent with the PCs all working together as a "party"?

Originally Posted by AsenRG

Amusingly, Uncle, that's almost exactly 13 times the length of the Equator! That car's a miracle of endurance.

Glad you travelled safely, despite the winds and rains, that's what counts in the end!

I've gotten Chevy Astro Vans as rentals a couple of times. They are very, very easy to drive; it's nice. Now, back in the mid 90s the engine was offset to the right so the passenger seat was a bit cramped for a six footer like me, but they may have fixed that. It was definitely one of those vehicles that makes you feel "I could drive this all day."

God, I get weary just thinking about some of the trips we made. Not to mention I am no longer as fond of driving through the night as I used to be.

Originally Posted by AsenRG

Amusingly, Uncle, that's almost exactly 13 times the length of the Equator! That car's a miracle of endurance.

Glad you travelled safely, despite the winds and rains, that's what counts in the end!

It is, indeed; we do the routine fixes, keep it in good trim, and don't do stupid things with it.

Thank you! I think the end result was quite worth it, too!

Originally Posted by chirine ba kal

It is, indeed; we do the routine fixes, keep it in good trim, and don't do stupid things with it.

Thank you! I think the end result was quite worth it, too!

I was envying yor technical skills even before, Uncle! Now I'm amazed, pure and simple.

And it's the end result that matters, in this case.

Follow-up question on Tekumel. This time, I'd like a personal opinion from you and Gronan on a question that even you're unlikely to know the answer for sure (unless you have debated a hypotetical question with MARB).

What would Phil have thought (before the Feist fiasco) about a Tekumel group which, say, was playing in the Tsolyani Empire, but shifted the cultural inspirations/influences more towards the Far East?