Special Occasions

Merciful Mercer on Moclus! It's already February! How did this happen? 

This month...is a big one.

It can't be!

Are Adam and Barkley the same person?!?

No, of course not. ; )

Barkley Hat knitted by my lovely girlfriend. 

February is always pretty thought provoking and emotional for me for various reasons but this year, well, this one is special. 

On the 12th of this month, I will be 50 years of age. Fifty. Half a damn century. I honestly can't believe I've made it this far. 

In addition, on the 23rd of the month I will be marking off 10 years, that's TEN YEARS!, of the Barking Alien Blog! That's right gang, this month I intend to celebrate a decade of people all across the globe taking time out of their lives to pay attention to my mad, pop-culture fueled RPG ramblings. You're all invited! I'll put out soda, chips and guacamole. Does anyone have any extra folding chairs?

How does one celebrate such milestones? Hmmm. Hopefully with some content, something I've been light on of late. I will definitely try my best to get some new posts up, revisit some of my favorite old ones, and maybe get in some guest material or player spotlights. This really does feel like a momentous occasion so I best do it up right.

Looking forward to partying with you guys...Happy February! 

Woah. That feels weird...

AD
Barking Alien

Before I forget...

Gong Hei Fat Choy!

Happy New Year!

Good fortune and happiness to you all in this Year of the Pig!

Also...

February is Black History Month!  This year I would like to direct your attention to Huffington Post's Black History Built This. For the entire month they will be shedding light on figures and events in Black History without having that light wash away the culture the way many modern tellings do. It looks to be a very interesting and enlightening approach to the subject. Take a look won't you? 

Black Cat Come Visit Me

February is Black History Month and what better way to celebrate than going to see a motion picture that embraces and emblazons the beauty, strength, and nuance of African culture and the heroic spirit of the African people?

I am of course talking about...

All kidding aside, this movie is indeed a triumph. It was an excellent film, being both engaging and entertaining. I have to say that it was really refreshing to see this epic after the dismal experience that was Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

Black Panther did what many other such films fail to do; It built a world, gave it grandeur, and yet it made the central conflict personal. 

Although ostensibly a Superhero movie, it felt much more like a Fantasy film, albeit one that's really more Science Fantasy. Black Panther's overall feel and aesthetic is closer to Lord of the Rings crossed with a James Bond movie than it is an Avengers/Marvel Superhero flick. I liked that. A lot. It gave it its own identity beyond the Afro-futurism look of its costumes, setting, and technology (although that was perfectly done). 

While the film has both a cool hero and an interesting villain, it has as its best feature an excellent supporting cast. Through the secondary, and even tertiary characters, the Black Panther movie creates a sense that the world within it is real and the people know each other. They have personalities, interests, and desires all their own. They are imperfect, they make mistakes, but they try to do the right thing or what they believe to be the right thing. In some ways this even extends to the the villain, which is what makes him one of the best in the Marvel Cinematic Universe so far. 

I can't say enough good things about the movie, so I'd like to change the subject slightly and talk about the films importance. 

Barking Alien, the blog, isn't a place where I normally put forth my personal views on subjects like politics or social issues. Not normally. There have been a number of times over the years where I've bent or broken my own rules and this might be considered one of them by some. So be it. 

For a very long time now we've seen films in which super-powered heroes and the lords of fantastic kingdoms battled the forces of evil to save the world, or even the universe. They have also largely been White. 

Certainly Black Panther isn't the very first Black hero on film. We've seen Blade, Hancock, and Spawn, but none of these have what King T'Challa's movie has. Black Panther has the main character as a rich and powerful individual, surpassing in both wealth and influence such characters as Batman and Iron Man.

T'Challa is a King. He rules a nation. His nation is powerful, beautiful, and more advanced than what we have seen so far on the world of Marvel Cinematic Earth.

T'Challa is not a freak, a wash-out, or man fighting a secret war (well, not exactly). T'Challa is a major part of a much larger universe. He is as big and as important to Marvel films as is Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, and Doctor Strange. 

As such Black Panther, both the character and the film, is of significance to the greater mythos he dwells within and to an audience who finally have an A-List Superhero is looks as they do.

Wakanda Forever!

AD
Barking Alien

P.S.: Post title is a reference to the song 'Black Cat' by David 'Ziggy' Marley.

Synchronization

I am taking a [not so] brief intermission between installments of my Pokemon RPG campaign idea to talk about a few other things that are on my mind.

I am bummed that while my Pokemon ideas seem to be going over well on the blog (viewership is high, comments are numerous and positive), only one person out of the three groups I game with has mentioned it at all. That's 1 person out of 13. 

Sure, I've gotten one, or two other responses to it from players I know (mostly a comment, or two on my one group's Facebook page), but no where near the kind of reaction that would indicate it was likely to be embraced as an ongoing campaign. 

The one gamer friend who did mention it asked it I was interested in running it with his group, and I have to thank him for that. Unfortunately it was my online group, and the nature of the system I'm using would make it a tad problematic over the internet. Perhaps there is a way. We'll see.

The situation reminded me once again that while I am among friends and fellow gamers I enjoy gaming with, I am not among 'my people'. I haven't achieved full synchronization. Gendo Ikari would be so disappointed in me.

I wonder, as an example, how many of my current players would get that reference. 

Anyway, as the days of this year pass, and I become more, and more aware of my approaching 40 year gaming anniversary, I also become more aware that I am not 100% happy with my 'State of Gaming' status.

Don't get me wrong. I am very grateful for what I have and how often I do get to partake in my hobby. I am in three groups! Two in person groups, and one online. One of the in person groups, and the online group, meet weekly. The other group is once a month. I am having fun, and feel really lucky.

But...

Well...

Yeah. I just feel like I am not gaming to my full potential. I feel like a Bugatti Veyron, the world's fastest road legal automobile, with a speed of 258 mph, forced to drive through one 25 mph school zone after another. 

Once in a while I turn onto a street that's free and clear, only to make a right straight into yet another 25 mph speed limit area.

Not content to do less then my best, I have taken the liberty of contacting some old friends I haven't gamed with in a very long time in hopes of catching extended lightening in a bottle once more. I'm also checking inroads into adding brand new people.

My personal motto is, 'There is always way'. Nothing is impossible. The answer to a problem may be hidden, but it exists, and can be found. The only thing preventing me from running a truly fantastic game again is that I simply don't have all the particulars in place yet.

And really, that's all I am looking for. The particulars in synchronization. 


AD
Barking Alien


Before I forget...


I do believe I almost let February pass me by without noting that it is/was/always will be Black History Month. This year I was particularly fascinated to look into the contributions African Americans have made to our collective pop culture. 

Check out Gerald 'Jerry' Lawson, the salesman, and electronics engineer who invented the Video Game Cartridge. 

Fill yourself in on Lonnie Johnson, the US Air Force engineer who invented the Super Soaker Water Gun. 

Snacking wouldn't have been the same if not for George Speck (aka George Crum), to whom the creation of the Potato Chip is attributed.

These are just some of the interesting day-to-day items many do not realize where invented by African Americans. Do a little research, learn something, and appreciate diversity. 

I am very sad to report the passing of Bill Paxton, who left us this past Saturday at the age of 61 due to complications from heart surgery. 

Paxton, a great guy and an amazing character actor, was a key component of many of fandom's favorite films. While he became known to a larger audience with 'Big Love', 'Tombstone', and 'Titanic', our lot know him best as Hudson in 'Aliens', as well as roles in 'Weird Science', 'Predator 2', and 'Marvel's Agents of SHIELD'.

His talent, dedication, and passion will be greatly missed.

Game over man. Game over.

Serious Investment

On Thursday, February the 12th, of this week, I will turn 46 years of age.

Expect a lot of unsolicited nostalgia, and pointless reminiscing in the comings days.

You've been warned.

Time for some personal business:

This month is kind of nuts for me.

It contains my birthday, my ex-wife's birthday, our old wedding anniversary, my Dad's birthday, my Grandma's birthday (Mom's mom) (both Dad and Grandma are deceased), my friend Dave's birthday (though I haven't spoken to him much in the past month or so - reason unknown), and of course, the dreaded Valentines Day (curse you commercially fabricated day mandating the celebration of romance!).

I also wanted to remind everyone that this is Black History Month.

OK, back to the post...

It's insightful, it's ranty, and I apologize for nothing*.

I've come to the realization that my greatest asset, and biggest flaw, as a Gamemaster, is the level of buy-in required for my games.

It's not just that I have a bridge to sell you, it's that you have to believe guys like me own bridges, they sell them from time to time, and you have to really want to buy one for this to work.

Bowery Bugs

Warner Brothers Cartoons - 1949

 

I think the main advantage some of my older groups had over my current ones was the acceptance of this buy-in.

My old New Jersey group was especially into being especially into whatever new game idea I came up with. I could experiment with different genres, different systems, different ideas, because they would take the concepts I suggested, hug them tightly to their bosom (figuratively speaking of course), and say, "Yes! We get to play children in a creepy orphanage in Dickensian England? It's like Oliver Twist re-interpreted by Charles Addams**? I am so there!"

That was the thing. They were always there for practically anything. Moreover, they got it. They always, intrinsically understood what I was going for. Always. If they only got it a little, they would rent movies, read books, watch TV shows, animated series, or Anime that was said to be similar, and then BAM!, they would get it. Not kind of, or sort of, or just a bit better than they got it before. No, they would now be completely in tune with my head space.

Damn I miss that. So, so, so much you can't imagine.

My games are not for the lazy. I'm not a lazy GM, and I require a proactive, fully awake player if we're both going to get the most out of the game. I put a lot into assembling, and prepping my campaigns, and if the players aren't going to put in the same level of effort, or at least invest the same level of emotion, it just isn't going to be all that magical.

I get that what I am asking isn't always easy. I'm asking a lot I know. When I put forth a premise for a game, it either just hits you, or you get grazed and intrigued, or it's a miss. If it's a miss, what can I do. It's a no go. Better to try something else than beat a dead Tauntaun. If I grazed you though, I'll help you get it, but you've got to try as well.

It seems to me that, all too often, whatever game I am running these days, my current players (not all, and not always) are playing the game that is in their heads. Sometimes I get lucky, and it's the same game I am running, or very close to it. Other times (pretty regularly in fact) it's their own game that features only their character, in a world about them.

This was not supposed to be a post comparing the people I've played with past, and present, BUT DAMN! If there is one thing that frustrates me more than any other aspect of my gaming these days it's this. Right along side this is having absolutely no clue how to fix it.

Here is where I sound like an old foggy.

I think part of the problem with my current campaign groups, and their ability (or inability) to buy-into the genre mind-set of some of the games I suggest, is that they are younger than the average member of my older groups. The current group is generally less experienced, had less exposure to some of the things I think are interesting, and have many other things to attract their fandom-fueled attention that weren't around when I was younger.

It's a different generation. We had no internet, no email, no near instantaneous streaming of movies, television shows, and animated programs. These young'uns have it too damn easy. Although they also have a crapload of awesome.

We had to work to get information. We are used to that. We are well versed in things we were interested in, because it took effort to learn about them. If we saw something, and didn't know what it was, or what it was about, and it seemed cool to us, we looked into it until we knew. We embraced new things, different things, and reveled in what was different about them.

With the ease of access to information we have today, I am amazed at how few people are familiar with...with...SO MANY SUBJECTS!

The members of my NJ group not only bought into my pitches, they brought in their own knowledge, know how, and fields of interest. You could count on one person to make historical references, and know about famous (and not so famous) events in world history that might relate to the scenario. Someone would figure out the science behind some of our Science Fiction scenarios. We had artists so inspired by the games they did artwork (most all of the artwork in my current games is done by me).

The other thing odd about my current mainstay players is that I get emails, Facebook messages, and texts from them all the time about what they're going to do in the next session. They always want to tell me what their PC will be up to, what they want their PC to accomplish, etc.

I never got that from my old groups. Instead, they showed up at the sessions eager to accomplish stuff. They told me what they were going to do when they were doing it.

What my new guys don't ask, or rarely so, is anything about the setting. It's about what they're going to do, not about the world their in. No discussions of genre, no references to writers, or artists who created excellent examples of the milieu, it's themes, or it's possible look.

Buy-in is the key to my best work. Buy-in will always remain the not-so-secret formula to what makes me a damn good GM. I realize that without buy-in, I am good, but not great. I think that's it. The missing X-Factor I've been chasing these last several years. Why my games are good, even really good, but not spectacular. Not the kind that got me my old reputation for being one of the best in the gaming circles I moved in.

Which games over the past 10 years have been that good? The Muppets ones. The Smurf one. Ghostbusters.

The ones with a big buy-in, and people willing to pay.

AD
Barking Alien

* Not so. 

I apologize if what I am saying in this post makes any of my players feel like crap. That is not only not my intention, but it's BS. It just isn't a true reflection of how I feel about you guys. You're awesome. You have your own strengths, your own ways of making gaming fun. In some aspects, you are one of the best groups I've ever had.

Is the buy-in thing an issue? Yes. It is. No denying it. It prevents me from taking the 1-to-10 dial, and turning it up to 11. It's not your fault. Stylistically, there are very few gamers who game the way I wish to. It's definitely a me thing.

For some additional insight check this out: Best Buy...In


** Charles Addams, the cartoonist and humorist whose work inspired the Addams Family television series. Fascinating fellow. Look him up.

Steal Away Gaming

February is Black History Month and so, having a lot of friends of African American descent (as well as other nationalities that would fall under the category of being considered 'Black'), I thought I would take this opportunity to honor all of the Black game designers who contributed to the hobby of RPGs since it's earliest days.

There's...um...hmmm. Mike Pondsmith. And...huh.

Much like comic books but even more so, our hobby seems to be one where the number of minority members who are fans is largely disproportionate to the number of people of that minority in creative positions in the industry.

Now first I must apologize to the many Black creators, writers and artists in gaming. Yes, I know there are more then one of you. I singled out Mike Pondsmith because his is a well known name and because he is a personal favorite of mine. The nature of this post is to start off the month with a bit of controversy and an attempt to shock but please bare with me.

Breaking down the demographics of my last few gaming groups, the vast majority of players I've had have been Black. Now this doesn't 'matter' in any particular sense. It doesn't change what I do or how I game. It does make me wonder why we don't see more key creative people among the powers that be in the hobby.

My best friend Dave (who I've mentioned many, many times), has some interesting observations about this and specifically about which games he and his friends gravitated towards. I'm going to try and get him to do a guest post on the subject.

One creative person whose work should not go unnoticed is Julia B. Ellingboe, the deep and talented mind behind the indie RPG, Steal Away Jordan.







Steal Away Jordan is not an easy game. Not in the context of the rules mind you but in the nature of its content.

Steal Away Jordan is a story game that enables players to look into the lives of people who live in a time and place where slavery exists. This isn't 'Goblin Slavers of the Dragonfaced Island' slavery. This is slavery as it happened. This is slavery as a terrible, sad reality.

The emphasis here is on the people, the characters, the culture and their lives. The settings time and place can be changed. It creates a story of the situation and the institution of organized slavery and its effect on those who live with it from the smallest, poorest child to the oldest, wealthy slave owner. Steal Away Jordan is written and depicted in the spirit of such great authors as Margaret Walker, Alex Haley, and a personal favorite of mine, Octavia Butler.

Using this premise of historical fiction, players explore the social and psychological implications of life in a society where people can be bought and sold as property.

The subject matter is, as I noted, difficult. It can make you uncomfortable. A certain fantastic element can be added as per the rules resulting in a story that does indeed remind me of Octavia Butler's book Kindred. At the same time, if handled well, it only enhances the feeling and atmosphere of the material.

Food for thought on this first day of February.

Later days,

AD
Barking Alien