OoG during Pirates

Sorry to hear about it, Alan.

I heard about that from Facebook. I am glad she isn't feeling too poorly.

Master of Monsters! what a great game, enjoy. Warlord whirlwind for the win!!

sorry to hear that Alan, I hope she recovers soon.

Alan, how are you and Gretchen and the kids holding up?

Tired of isolation. Alannah has to stay with her Aunts in Champaign. Long story. So she’s eager to come home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IxN0N35skE


fun interview with Sir Alec Guinness from 1977 about Star Wars

Chris wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IxN0N35skE


fun interview with Sir Alec Guinness from 1977 about Star Wars

Cool share! Its funny he says "people are going to read too much into it - its really simple stuff". I like that while he doesnt like the genre, he found things about it that still appealed. 

Been watching Mando I assume? the creature design is astounding this season!!!

yeah, those of us that are arachnophobic didn't need episode two of this season... eek!

Been great though.

whit10 wrote:yeah, those of us that are arachnophobic didn't need episode two of this season... eek!

Been great though.

Dude I aint even especially creeped out by spiders but that episode had me cringing, they were creepy!

I also appreciated that he called the dialogue "a bit ropey" and that he only agreed to the role if Lucas fixed some of his lines.

Also loving Mando, of course.


SPOILERS!


The entire plot structure of the an imperial remanant trying to harvest high "m-count" assets in an effort to clone a force-sensitive body vs an emerging underworld filling the vacuum (Lucas' script for 7-9) vs a fledgling new republic that can't keep up with either vs a devastated\resurgent mandolarian culture - sets up a really interesting power dynamic in the galaxy.

Matt:

yeah, when you first saw the kid near those eggs I immediately thought of Aliens and thought "I'm not going to like this next bit am I?"

Five minutes later.... "oh hell no!" (sinks into chair for a minute).

Great episode though

whit10 wrote:Matt:

yeah, when you first saw the kid near those eggs I immediately thought of Aliens and thought "I'm not going to like this next bit am I?"  

Five minutes later.... "oh hell no!" (sinks into chair for a minute).

Great episode though

Lol, even the frog lady is kinda creepy, IMO. 

I also appreciated that he called the dialogue "a bit ropey" and that he only agreed to the role if Lucas fixed some of his lines.

Also loving Mando, of course.


SPOILERS!


The entire plot structure of the an imperial remanant trying to harvest high "m-count" assets in an effort to clone a force-sensitive body vs an emerging underworld filling the vacuum (Lucas' script for 7-9) vs a fledgling new republic that can't keep up with either vs a devastated\resurgent mandolarian culture - sets up a really interesting power dynamic in the galaxy.

Guiness did a great job being profesional about saying "I thought it was kinda garbage and its amazing to me how it succeeded". 

Absolutely love the world building in Mando, and how it ties many of the other shows/movies threads together. Wont save the sequels but might soften some thier many failures by retcon...

MAS wrote:
Guiness did a great job being profesional about saying "I thought it was kinda garbage and its amazing to me how it succeeded". 

Absolutely love the world building in Mando, and how it ties many of the other shows/movies threads together. Wont save the sequels but might soften some thier many failures by retcon...

He also said, I had to keep turning the page to see what happened next. I think he appreciated the story, if not the dialogue of the script.


Nothing will save the sequels, lol

Honestly, the mando storyline could have been the sequels, if formatting differently.

I could also see a Filioni-verse splinter off from JJ-verse. It would sort of be like what JJ did with Trek, but in reverse. Filioni is taking so much from Rebels and CWs and expanded universe, he could easily use the "world-between-worlds" from the end of Rebels for such a splinter, if not a total retcon-rewrite.

Chris wrote:

MAS wrote:
Guiness did a great job being profesional about saying "I thought it was kinda garbage and its amazing to me how it succeeded". 

Absolutely love the world building in Mando, and how it ties many of the other shows/movies threads together. Wont save the sequels but might soften some thier many failures by retcon...

He also said, I had to keep turning the page to see what happened next.   I think he appreciated the story, if not the dialogue of the script.


Nothing will save the sequels, lol

Honestly, the mando storyline could have been the sequels, if formatting differently.  

I could also see a Filioni-verse splinter off from JJ-verse.  It would sort of be like what JJ did with Trek, but in reverse.  Filioni is taking so much from Rebels and CWs and expanded universe, he could easily use the "world-between-worlds" from the end of Rebels for such a splinter, if not a total retcon-rewrite.

He certainly did have some complimentary things to say, silver linings and all. That's an intriguing idea - some sort of dimensional split that preserves both continuums. Bring everything full circle with the W-b-W and the whole shebang with the Force master dude and his good/evil siblings/chosen one thing from CW.

not to go too far down the rabbit hole of details, cuz.... I haven't thought about this at all or anything....

so in Rebels, originally,  Ahsoka dies in the Sith temple fighting Darth Vader, right?

until Ezra uses the WbW to pull her out just before it collapsed, but he was from a different time than she was, relatively speaking.

what if....   the sequel trilogy happened in the splinter of the timeline when Ahsoka was dead?  That timeline formed because of her death, essentially.  She wasn't there to protect the Child from the Imperial Remnant cloners.  Mando had nowhere to bring the Child for training or safety.  Gideon gets the Child, uses its blood to make a Snoke-body clone for Palps, etc = the sequels.

Then.... Ezra uses the WbW to pull her out of the Sith temple.  So now she is alive in the Mando times and the previous timeline is like a stream from the MCU without an infinity stone (Ahsoka).

Filioni-verse becomes the prime universe, in which Ahsoka is alive and the Child never falls into Gideon's hands, so the IR is never able to make a Snoke-body force-sensitive clone.... so the 1st Order never happens.... Snoke (Palps) never corrupts Kylo.... Starkiller never destroys the Core Worlds of the Republic..... that means no failed-palp clone that is Rey's father, so no Rey... so no sequel trilogy, except in a splinter timeline that doesn't matter anymore.  

A new timeline can be written with Ahsoka and the Child alive.  Gideon can be defeated, restoring Mandalore along the way.  

Ahsoka was actually the Chosen One from the Prophesy who brings balance to the Force by restoring the timeline.

Now if I was writing this....  Mando dies at the end to cement the timeline.  But I am just dark like that

BAD ASS. Get Filloni on the line ASAP! Kill the sequels and give life to the franchise! 

Other stuff: 

Heroforge (custom gaming minis) now has a color print option -and the engine lets you take screenshots. Its a badass way to make character portraits and pics. Here are a few shots of the Renda model I customized. 

hell yeah!  Hero Forge is an amazing mini site.  I love the custom model feature.  The boys and I have done custom models for our table top games as birthday\holiday gifts.  

I hadn't thought about it for forum gaming, but that's a brilliant idea - custom craft the model, then paint it up!  

HF is having a Black Friday sale currently too

Chris wrote:hell yeah!  Hero Forge is an amazing mini site.  I love the custom model feature.  The boys and I have done custom models for our table top games as birthday\holiday gifts.  

I hadn't thought about it for forum gaming, but that's a brilliant idea - custom craft the model, then paint it up!  

HF is having a Black Friday sale currently too

Cool gift idea for sure. I may at some point do a rogue's gallery of my favorite rpg characters in a shadowbox display or something. 

Here is another I did yesterday fooling around. 

Father Tankard - CHEERS!

lol, double fisting Father Tankard for the win! Or in Dnd is that "drinking florentine"?

I was trying to use the "prone" pose but his arms and items kept clipping into the base

heavy-beskar

this is the way

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa6j9QqkaQE

everything sounds better with distortion....

Chris wrote:heavy-beskar

this is the way

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wa6j9QqkaQE

Rock! Due this season gets better every episode. Im hopeful that they can keep up the quality on the new projects.

Agreed!

Soooo many new projects in the pipes for both SW and Marvel.

I am also excited for all the movies coming directly to HBO\MAX (just take my fucking money too): Dune, Matrix 4, Kong vs Godzilla, WW84....

$15\month is about the price of 1 movie ticket

Given our family of 4 (~$60) would go see almost all of those together, not including $40 for popcorn and drinks

not to mention if there are any good series or anything else on there

yeah... too bad they're fucking over actors with that direct release bullshit. Anyone who did a "profit share" as a part of their deal is getting screwed hard.

there is one constant in the universe - executives are greed, selfish assholes that deserve to be thrown down a well...

The problem with streaming services is this: yes, it's cheaper than taking your family to see a movie. But, when you keep spending the money over the course of a year, unless you see a ton of movies normally, it's a waste of money. Netflix keeps raising it's price, HBO Max doesn't have that much in the way of "good" movies and that trainwreck Apple+ is doing the whole "oh, you can only watch this movie on our platform (Greyhound was the one I wanted to watch). But you have to use their bullshit to do so. I will freely admit to utterly despising Apple and all of its various entities. Hence why I still don't get to watch certain movies....

I hate that this is the new trend

awww, I bet Keanu Reeves is going to be standing in line for food stamps now

Its a simultaneous release, so anyone that would go to the cinema (risking covid exposure) is still going to go. Those of us that wouldn't go, still won't go, but will still get to see the movie. The studio is selling the movie rights to HBO\MAX and making some profit which will get shared, which still seems better than 0 profit of missed audiences.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2020/12/08/warners-2021-hbo-max-release-plan-slammed-by-christopher-nolan-as-legendary-entertainment-reportedly-readies-lawsuit/?sh=1b7b93651b5d

link to the other side of this story.

No Chris, the move was done without any consultation with the studios, directors, producers or actors.

I'll always support the actors vs. network execs. One creates something... the other does nothing but count beans and screw things up.

whit10 wrote:https://www.forbes.com/sites/siladityaray/2020/12/08/warners-2021-hbo-max-release-plan-slammed-by-christopher-nolan-as-legendary-entertainment-reportedly-readies-lawsuit/?sh=1b7b93651b5d

link to the other side of this story.

No Chris, the move was done without any consultation with the studios, directors, producers or actors.

I'll always support the actors vs. network execs.  One creates something... the other does nothing but count beans and screw things up.

Well, I guess 2 people can read different things from the same article then.

Here is what I read:  

movies lost their asses in 2020 due to Covid
nobody has a problem with direct release to streaming service for 2021, except cinema companies
they are complaining that they weren't consulted in advance - tough shit, actors\directors don't own the movie rights
they are whining that they want more money from Netflix (again, fine with direct release)
the actors\directors ARE getting paid extra money for this (just not as much as they want)


again, you are free to take whatever position you want, but that article doesn't support most of your points, from the way I read it.

you can like or hate streaming services, as you wish.  but the math doesn't agree with you.
it costs me about $100 for my family to go see 1 movie, $60 without treats.
that's 4 months of streaming hbo\max
so for the price of 3 trips to the cinema, for 3 movies, I can watch all of them for 1 year.  same cost.  plus I can watch all the other movies and shows.

streaming is much much cheaper for me over a 1 year period

Im probably most excited about Ashoka and Obi-Wan. Bad Batch looks like A-team in space but Im hopeful they will stay committed to the larger, relevant story arcs that made Clone Wars a success. The fadeout from "Clone Wars" logo to "Bad Batch" logo at the end of the trailer implies a "spiritual successor" tone to the project - which should mean some excellent storytelling! 

I'm grateful to see new content coming out that seems well aligned with the quality fans have been looking for, and the changes to distribution format seem a natural reaction to markets forces and covid restrictions alike. Me, Id much rather watch movies on a nice big screen at home in my underwear than hit the theatre these days anyway, for 99% of what is released. The price and disruption from other guests just isn't worth it. The occasional release that "deserves" to be seen on special tech (sound/screen, etc) isn't a bad deal, but most time Id rather consume the product at home, on my own schedule, in my my own comfort. I also like to rewatch things a lot. It makes more sense to me to get access to a library rather than just buy a single book, price being relative.  A lot of folks seem to feel the same way. Thats a free market for you - you dont tell your customers how they want their steak cooked, they tell you. Along the way, the companies will keep you cornered on distribution methods that best suit them until technology advances offer an escape valve: Streaming will raise in price until it hits where cable prices are now, and they'll hold it there, until new tech offers people an escape that they then have to adapt to and eventually co-op as they are now doing with streaming. Ebbs and tides of tool/technology adoption. 

All that being said: Fuck the man, Eat the rich. Get a good vpn and download WTF ever you want. 

ok, done trying

Any you are more or less interested in than the others, Chris?

01/06/2021

Chris wrote:01/06/2021

You Aint kidding. Im just sitting here Like 

Strange that DC didn't look like that at all yesterday.

Complicity of Mil/LEO and gov assets makes this a formal, no shit coup attempt. CapPol literally moved the gates aside and waved them in - not that there was anything present besides a token force to begin with, complicity itself considering the wide availability of intel regarding the threat. Active duty Mil and LEOs flashing their ID cards as they entered. Never thought I'd end up on the "Loyalist" side of this sort of equation but here we are.

So...the 1984 fascists argued with the Atlas Shrugged fascists while the Brave New World fascists stood around watching...Then a fanatic kidnap team composed of brainwashed vets and literal nazis chased the VP through the rotunda sporting confederate flags. All hail our 954 Billion $ defense budget. "America" is safe. Good thing the Russians or Chinese never just decided to try to walk a commando team in the front door - It literally would have worked. Can you imagine the carnage that the two devices and 11 cocktails could have wrecked in there, even unsupported by firearms? What if was professionals?!?!?! How many foreign agents were in that crowd, let alone domestic bad actors? One must assume every bit of information and hardware and security measure in the building is compromised. 

More is being planned, in the open, again: for Inauguration day at the least. Keep in mind almost a half dozen state govs got hit simultaneous to the capital attack. 

MLCOA (Most likely course of action, also my hope): Insurrectionist forces (hence referred to as INFOR) watch their high profile participants losing their jobs, arrested, abandoned by Trump over the next few weeks and the movement fails to achieve wider organization / mobilization. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE I hope this is what happens. 

MDCOA (Most Dangerous COA): The Trump zeitgeist creates its own self sustaining momentum. Its initial Failure creates more alienation and further radicalisation is emboldened. INFOR has been largely/relatively unopposed at Fed and state GOVFOR encounters in the field, and are interpreting their lack of consequences to this point as permissive. Continued LEO complicity creates an inconsistent but increasingly enabled operational environment, resulting in attacks on personnel and infrastructure continuing to trend upwards, while coordinated building take -overs and kidnap attempts become more sophisticated. 

Concentration of direct conflict in one location is preferable for GOVFOR. There just ISNT enough LEO/MIL to lock things down if they get momentum going in multiple cities/states at once.

well written, Matt.

In all seriousness.... isn't this exactly what you trained for and trained other people for?
(with different names\flags of course)

Perhaps there is an immediate market for your skills as a highly paid trained expert in the field of counter-terrorism.

Chris wrote:well written, Matt.

In all seriousness.... isn't this exactly what you trained for and trained other people for?  
(with different names\flags of course)

Perhaps there is an immediate market for your skills as a highly paid trained expert in the field of counter-terrorism.  

Can't get a clearance right now (too much debt -maybe not half a billion in debt to Putin like our POTUS but its a barrier for commoners like me) so official professional opportunities are scarce. Plus I still need, like, at least one more month of physical therapy before running too far amok

My ears are always open for opportunity though- I've got friends doing armed security (one was in Minneapolis this summer, another maybe headed to an embassy security gig soon, etc) and still some connections in training/Sims. 

Meantime, as I recover and sort out my va claim, Kinda working an interesting angle on that right now. Bohemia Interactive (company worked very closely with doing sims) has some openings and takes unsolicited applications anyway. Been familiarizing myself with their ARMA military sim products, and Im convinced they've got 90% of the ultimate rpg table top/3d environment already in place. Plus -Many of their current "GM" features are mature versions of features I asked for from them in 08-10! So - my plan is to submit a solid application along with analysis done in the same style as the stuff I used to do when working with them for the Marines - this time doing a capabilities analysis of their current platform in regards to using it for DnD/tabletop gaming. If you look at their current editors and ZEUS gamemaster tool, Its some of the best scripting/level design tools out there. Ive got some ideas on how a few tools added to their existing p[roduct open up some next level opportunities. Figure that will at least get their attention!

Here’s the link for The Illinois Supreme Court live stream. Should be this Wednesday around 11am ish.

https://livestream.com/blueroomstream/events/9451225


Oh, and I am pretty sure that foreign operators never sent a commando team because they were thwarted by the new border wall.

navyik wrote:Oh, and I am pretty sure that foreign operators never sent a commando team because they were thwarted by the new border wall.

Doubtful. Climbing the border wall is the next big Olympic sport:

navyik wrote:Here’s the link for The Illinois Supreme Court live stream. Should be this Wednesday around 11am ish.

https://livestream.com/blueroomstream/events/9451225


Oh, and I am pretty sure that foreign operators never sent a commando team because they were thwarted by the new border wall.

Ill tune in! 

lol on the wall., they didn't seem to hold anyone back outside the capital either. Too much irony. Dont tread on me lady trampled to death. Big dick energy old guy tasers himself in the balls accidently till he has a heart attack. Its hard to believe that the gods don't have a sense of humor. 

Im seeing heavy traffic on planned actions in DC and other State capitals 16/17 and 20th. INFOR knows that this is it, they either ride the wave over the top here or fizzle; they are calling in all the banners. INFOR looks soft on FED allies but strong on LEO complicity on state/county/local levels and in rural areas. I think GOVFOR mil is pretty squarely on Biden's side, but the possibility of sabotage or turncoats always exists. Nothing stopping foreign actors from getting in on the mix either. 

The media and corporate donation purge of Trumpism is long overdue, but is a big radicalizing factor and enables INFOR viewpoint of being persecuted and silenced, confirming much of their perceived fears. Sun Tzu and the ancient masters advise to always leave your opponent a perceived route of escape, least they multiply their effectiveness with desperation. INFOR feels increasingly hedged in and targeted - and most dangerously, RIGHTEOUS.  

Paired with ever surging covid numbers = Be prepared for increased service disruptions, logistics shortages, and increasingly delayed delivery capabilities.  Strongly recommend topping off food/supplies. Remove any and all political identifiers from your home, car, office, etc. Lay low.

Maps!

https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2021/01/dd-one-million-square-feet-of-new-battle-maps-free.html

Chris wrote:Maps!

https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2021/01/dd-one-million-square-feet-of-new-battle-maps-free.html

Saweet. Picked up Campaign Cartographer 3+ and a bunch of addons from humble bundle over the holidays, still exploring it but its pretty powerful.

More maps is always great!

PLAYTESTERS WANTED! 

Rob and I have been talking a long time about some military/espionage style action and and i've been poking around systems that might work well for it. I've been eyeballing a 5e based "Modern" rule set as a basis, and sketching out some homebrew ideas to make 5e a little more "firefight" focused - as I'm envisioning a near future/cyberpunk, episodic "Action Movie" type series. Think modernized Tom Clancy with a Cyberpunk edge. 

I've set up the test area, rules, map, and OOG thread in "TEST LAB" found on the main page listed 2nd/underneath the "Pirates" game. Includes a TROVE link to the rule set PDF.

Please check out what is posted and chime in on the OOG /Post up if you'd like to join in. I intend to begin play next Monday...assuming we are not otherwise occupied by civil unrest.

from 11/25/20

Chris wrote:not to go too far down the rabbit hole of details, cuz.... I haven't thought about this at all or anything....

so in Rebels, originally,  Ahsoka dies in the Sith temple fighting Darth Vader, right?

until Ezra uses the WbW to pull her out just before it collapsed, but he was from a different time than she was, relatively speaking.

what if....   the sequel trilogy happened in the splinter of the timeline when Ahsoka was dead?  That timeline formed because of her death, essentially.  She wasn't there to protect the Child from the Imperial Remnant cloners.  Mando had nowhere to bring the Child for training or safety.  Gideon gets the Child, uses its blood to make a Snoke-body clone for Palps, etc = the sequels.

Then.... Ezra uses the WbW to pull her out of the Sith temple.  So now she is alive in the Mando times and the previous timeline is like a stream from the MCU without an infinity stone (Ahsoka).

Filioni-verse becomes the prime universe, in which Ahsoka is alive and the Child never falls into Gideon's hands, so the IR is never able to make a Snoke-body force-sensitive clone.... so the 1st Order never happens.... Snoke (Palps) never corrupts Kylo.... Starkiller never destroys the Core Worlds of the Republic..... that means no failed-palp clone that is Rey's father, so no Rey... so no sequel trilogy, except in a splinter timeline that doesn't matter anymore.  

A new timeline can be written with Ahsoka and the Child alive.  Gideon can be defeated, restoring Mandalore along the way.  

Ahsoka was actually the Chosen One from the Prophesy who brings balance to the Force by restoring the timeline.  

Now if I was writing this....  Mando dies at the end to cement the timeline.  But I am just dark like that

so, not to pat myself on the back too hard here, but I assume everyone saw the Mando season 2 finale?



Another clue I missed back in November, is that Rey hears all the voices of the dead Jedi talking to her while she was tripping out on the force lightning.  The actress that played Ahsoka in the cartoon spoke to Rey - because Ahsoka was dead in that splinter timeline.  The events of Rebels s4 had already happened though in real time.  So it was a choice to include her as a dead voice.

Filioni-verse is now the prime reality, as described above.  It reinforces my theory that Luke showed up at the end of mando s2 to take on Grogu.  

Further evidence:  Per the novelization of the sequel trilogy and the movies:  Luke trained Leia for about 1 year after Endor, until she saw the vision of her son's death.  He doesn't train anyone else until Ben.  Ben Solo is his first student, at age 10.  

Where is Grogu then?

Grogu was in the hands of the Imperial Remnant.  Listen to Moff Gideon's speech on the bridge - you are all going to die, except me and the child.  The platoon of Dark Trooper droids would have killed Mando, Cara, Bo_Katan, etc.  They make the strand-cast clone bodies of Snoke from his high M-count blood.  This moment happened in the sequel trilogy.

Luke picking up Grogu and keeping him out of the hands of Gideon changed the timeline once and for all.  Of course, it really changed as I described above, with Ezra saving Ahsoka, but until this moment at the end of Mando s2, the sequels might have still happened.  

It took Mando meeting Ahsoka, her telling him to take Grogu to Tython, Grogu calling out through the Force and Luke hearing him.... to set in motion the season 2 finale.  

so, not to pat myself on the back too hard here, but I assume everyone saw the Mando season 2 finale?



Another clue I missed back in November, is that Rey hears all the voices of the dead Jedi talking to her while she was tripping out on the force lightning.  The actress that played Ahsoka in the cartoon spoke to Rey - because Ahsoka was dead in that splinter timeline.  The events of Rebels s4 had already happened though in real time.  So it was a choice to include her as a dead voice.

Filioni-verse is now the prime reality, as described above.  It reinforces my theory that Luke showed up at the end of mando s2 to take on Grogu.  

Further evidence:  Per the novelization of the sequel trilogy and the movies:  Luke trained Leia for about 1 year after Endor, until she saw the vision of her son's death.  He doesn't train anyone else until Ben.  Ben Solo is his first student, at age 10.  

Where is Grogu then?

Grogu was in the hands of the Imperial Remnant.  Listen to Moff Gideon's speech on the bridge - you are all going to die, except me and the child.  The platoon of Dark Trooper droids would have killed Mando, Cara, Bo_Katan, etc.  They make the strand-cast clone bodies of Snoke from his high M-count blood.  This moment happened in the sequel trilogy.

Luke picking up Grogu and keeping him out of the hands of Gideon changed the timeline once and for all.  Of course, it really changed as I described above, with Ezra saving Ahsoka, but until this moment at the end of Mando s2, the sequels might have still happened.  

It took Mando meeting Ahsoka, her telling him to take Grogu to Tython, Grogu calling out through the Force and Luke hearing him.... to set in motion the season 2 finale.  

Dayum dude you nailed it. The Sequels never even existed. What were we talking about, again?