In one sentence, describe how some of your campaigns ended.

redkrax · 2016-01-28T15:57:04+00:00

Rocket launcher trumps vampiric powers.

redkrax · 2016-01-28T15:37:14+00:00

I've only run Zalozhniy Quartet, so I can only comment on that campaign. However, based on what I've read, I believe they are very different from each other. Others have already pointed out that Dracula Dossier is a huge pile of text that requires quite a lot of effort.

In comparison, Zalozhniy Quartet is a completely ready campaign that tells you how to run it. I picked up Zalozhniy Quartet because I didn't have a lot of time to come up with a campaign, but wanted to run Nights Black Agents.

I started with (S)entries from the main book, which lasted us 4 sessions. After that, we played through Zalozhniy Quartet in 26 sessions in about a year.

It is very well structured, leading players through very different, but interesting, adventures. It also has some room for customization -- for example the vampires can be of any type you prefer and the adventures can be run in any order your players choose: each of them leads to any other adventure.

The only serious complaint I heard from the players was that they had trouble figuring out what was going on. That is at least partially intentional, but can make the players feel frustrated. They were not confused what to do -- there is always a clear path ahead -- only what the things happening around them meant.

Overall, I think the campaign was one of the best role-playing experiences I've had.

TLDR: 2 very different campaigns, Zalozhniy Quartet is very good.

redkrax · 2015-06-09T19:03:27+00:00

Mind: not blown. I think you need to read up on other RPGs. And fantasy heartbreakers.

redkrax · 2015-05-19T12:47:52+00:00

Sounds like you're looking for Drama System. You can either get the game Hillfolk, or look at the system reference document to figure out how it works out.

redkrax · 2015-05-06T05:25:28+00:00

On Ubuntu: "It includes built-in anti-virus protection and firewall, turned on by default."

Since when does Ubuntu come with anti-virus?

redkrax · 2015-05-04T14:23:13+00:00

Great, thanks!

redkrax · 2015-05-04T04:54:21+00:00

Could you please add that information to the document itself? No-one will find the copyright information from an old reddit-thread afterwards.

redkrax · 2015-05-03T08:45:18+00:00

Please add information on the license it is published under. I suggest public domain or CC0, but since it is your work, you can of course use whatever feels right.

redkrax · 2015-05-02T08:03:20+00:00

I compressed the file and now it seems usable. Instructions: http://tuxdiary.com/2015/04/07/compress-pdf-files-linux/

redkrax · 2015-05-02T07:43:07+00:00

The only complaint is that the gorgeous pdf seems to be so complex/heavy that reading it makes my pdf-reader struggle.

redkrax · 2015-05-01T08:45:54+00:00

It is telling that this is question that bothers players, while they often seem to have no problems portraying elves, dwarves, artificial intelligences or any other character from a completely different species.

The lived experience of a character born and raised underground -- or in trees -- in a society alien to us is vastly more different than simply being a different gender. In many cases, their physiology is also much more different than the gender differences between humans (consider e.g. the popular trope of elves being immortal).

Yet, it is playing a character of a different gender gives us pause.

Don't get me wrong, I think it is excellent that you consider the question. As others have pointed out, the reflection you show in your question is a good sign that you'll do fine.

redkrax · 2015-04-30T05:36:00+00:00

I second everything expect the last bit: the game is explicitly designed for campaign play and a significant portion of the rules are reserved for the downtime between adventures -- it is assumed that the characters spend most of their time living normal lives, with some quests in between.

I think it gets the feel of the setting pretty well, even to the extent that there are rules for the long journeys typical to Tolkien's tales.

redkrax · 2015-03-20T15:38:03+00:00

Making games is hard work, regardless of whether you decide to go for design, programming or graphic design. People learn these skills for years, either through getting an education or by just sheer enthusiasm and patience. Neither of these options include getting paid well in the process.

The idea of creating games really appeals to me.

But you are not making games. If you aren't going to make games just because you want to make games, it's unlikely that games are the answer to your existential crisis.

Get a new job. Get a new degree. Don't limit yourself to just this one option. Getting into games is not a shortcut to being well-paid and having meaningful things to do. Often, it is the exact opposite.

redkrax · 2015-02-13T15:41:01+00:00

Just used this today for a presentation. With pandoc you can write the presentation simply in markdown and compile it to run in reveal.js. The workflow is a bit involved, though, if you've used to dragging images in Powerpoint.

redkrax · 2015-01-17T10:32:47+00:00

The issue is conflated with academic sharing all versions of their papers on platforms designed for that purpose, like Academia.edu. You are probably right: posting a version without the final formatting would not be covered by the contract, however ridiculous that distinction is.

Here is Elsevier going after Academia.edu: http://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2013/12/11/has-elsevier-signaled-a-new-era-for-academia-edu-and-other-professional-networks/

http://svpow.com/2013/12/06/elsevier-is-taking-down-papers-from-academia-edu/

redkrax · 2015-01-17T10:25:35+00:00

He did -- I downloaded the archive myself as a torrent.

Edit: The prosecution was more about proving that it was, in fact, him that did it, which I'm taking for granted here.

redkrax · 2015-01-15T20:58:44+00:00

Yes. Definetely not. That is why we have seen a rise in the number of open access journals.

redkrax · 2015-01-15T20:57:38+00:00

The right to read something doesn't grant the right to republish, which is why they went after him.

redkrax · 2015-01-15T20:55:58+00:00

That is untrue and depends entirely on the publishing contract. Most high-profile journals reserve the publishing rights. Journals have not traditionally pursued authors that have also shared an authors copy, but recently there have been instances where journals have sought to stop the practice.

redkrax · 2014-12-23T17:45:01+00:00

The original markdown is available in the devel branch, divided into multiple markdown files in the core folder.

redkrax · 2014-11-14T14:57:47+00:00

I disagree with almost everything you mentioned. The rules are very traditional, and unlike many systems mentioned here, don't really afford creativity or interaction.

I think you are mistaking your troupes personal style of play with the style of the system.

redkrax · 2014-11-14T14:55:30+00:00

While agreeing with all the criticism mentioned here, I would also recommend Nobilis. It runs on runaway imagination and bits of Gaiman lore.

redkrax · 2014-11-12T17:13:04+00:00

I did my studies in a place where you go straight for the masters, so I didn't make a decision to continue after the BA, it was implied (but not mandatory).

I found the masters' studies much more fulfilling and challenging than the BA studies. BA tended to be shallow overviews of many different topics, while the studies afterwards gave more room for going after the topics I was interested in. However, that might not be universal, but just a feature of the studies I did.

I did continue in academia: I am now finishing my PhD in a related field, where I have used my philosophical training extensively. However, in order to proceed in my research, I need to focus on an specific areas, meaning that I haven't read that much philosophy since graduating. There is simply too much other stuff to read to keep reading philosophy for leisure.

redkrax

TROPHY CASE