JP On Gaming

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Playtesters saved my A##

For those who did not know, yesterday I spent my day at Enchanted Grounds in Highlands ranch playing Pathfinder. Not just *ANY* Pathfinder... but NeoExodus! Hurray! Before I tell you how it went and give you all kinds of crunchy bits about what worked, what worked less, what I need to add/change/tweak, I want to give a big heartfelt thanks to my play testers: Corwin, Jason, Jeff, Ken, Linda, and Matt.

Thanks guys for volunteering your time to NeoExodus and provide such clear, concise and really helpful feedback on the world, the game, the characters and especially, the adventure.

As I was writing Encounter at Ramat Bridge I had a few goals the adventure needed to address. In no particular order


  • The adventure must present the situation in Exodus (particularly along the Abaddon River) clearly,in a way the players could understand.
  • The adventure must introduce some of the major villains/typical monsters of Exodus.
  • The adventure has to provide the players with a sense of "something more is going on."
  • What the players do must be simple, clear and exciting.
  • The adventure must include a number of role-playing elements.
  • The adventure must feature a display that is visually attractive and really unque. (This is something I did tack on to it later as the adventure took form. Since it was to be the PaizoCon adventure, I wanted something to draw attention to the game.)
  • The adventure must have a natural flow, one the players can follow and even see or think they know what will is coming. (That can only be achieved by play test)

With those goals in mind, I wrote, tweaked, added, changed, expanded all part of the adventure until it reached its final, play-testable form. That was many, many, many hours of work, but work I have to say I enjoyed a lot. Being back in the adventure-writing business after a long time working on source books and setting books felt really great.

Before sending players into this, I had to make sure that all of my above-mentioned goals were reached, or I would have to keep working.

The adventure does not assume any Knowledge of the setting on the part of the players. CHECK.

The mission is clear, simple and direct. Very much so. CHECK.

The adventure uses iconic villains from NeoExodus. CHECK.

The adventure includes some role-playing scenes that can influence the adventure. CHECK.

The WIP of the 3d map can be seen in this previous post. Also, CHECK.

Iconics: (all of them are links to php character sheets)


CHECK.

The adventure SEEMS fine. So I was ready to play test.

Fast forward to Memorial Day Monday. Early morning. Travel. McD's breakfast. Bottomless Coffee (EG's awesome idea).

Not ot divulge much about the adventure itself. The biggest worry I had was the flow of the adventure. And that was right. The players followed the path set before them without resisting it too much, they moved the plot along, made the conclusions I wanted them to make without have to pull them through the force railroading I hate (to do and endure).

End of the adventure, conclusion, epilogue.

Okay, now the guys really began to provide me with valuable feedback and where this post's title comes from. In addition to a few rule items to tweak, some typos to correct in the adventure. But two big things.

First: Run time. Nearly six hours! OUCH! Must cut back. I have already identified a few encounters I will cut from the "PaizoCon version" Those encountered, while fun really do not further my above-mentioned aims. In the comfort of your own home, these encounters add to the feel and flavor of the world, but do not really add to the adventure itself. So they won't be added to the con-version.

Second: Intro The front-loading background of NeoExodus seemed overwhelming. The guys asked for a handout. This is such a great idea that it HAS to be done. After the fixes in the adventure itself, that is the next thing I'll work on.

So there it is... How I got my butt saved this past Monday! Still a few more things to work on but now I have a plan and I can focus on specific issues and have PaizoCon be a total blast.

Thanks again to Corwin, Jason, Jeff, Ken, Linda, and Matt.

JP

Sunday, May 29, 2011

PaizoCon NeoExodus Map Done

Work on Encounter at Ramat Bridge been non-stop these past few weeks. Today after taking the family to the Old Colorado City Territory Days (a celebration of the west and modern overindulging... but really its a fun thing to do with the family, send the kids to the petting zoo, pony rides, talking to the police and radio stations)...

Back on track...

So when I came back I headed down to my Man cave, pulled out all the old things I built over the years to create a display so I can see what I was missing and what I would need.

For those of you who did not know I spent years (2004-2008) building small elements to use and re-use for later event. Well after all this time, guess what... I still have boxes of terrain! So as I opened the boxes like a photo album you haven't looked at in a long time, there they were.

Knowing what I wanted to do, I put them together and within minutes, Ramat Bridge stared back at me! Best of all, after a little shuffling, I think I can pack everything into one box for shipping to Seattle!

I may add or tweak some of the smaller elements but most of it is there already. The image below does not include the drawing I will do on the paper, but you should have a good idea of what it will look like tomorrow for the play-test. (you can click it to expand it).


JP

Saturday, May 28, 2011

Doctor Minis Done

It's no secret that I have been bitten by the Who bug. Through Ebay, I was able to find some Classic Doctor Who miniatures. A little time later, I now have two Doctors (Hartnell and Troughton, the first two doctors).

Along with the Doctor, I got a miniature of Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, a character who was heavily featured in the early 70s, and a character I really took a liking to.






Someone pointed out to me that the actors for all of those characters have gone through their next regeneration...

JP

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Happy day in Taldor

A few weeks ago, the Theocrat my fellow Venture Captain from Las Vegas - whose soul belongs to Taldor - painted some very nice miniatures. Looking at his work, an idea formed in my mind about a great moment in Golarion's history.

So I set off first composing the vignette then painting it. And thus I present to you the most interesting moment in Taldor's long and rich history, "Happy Day in Taldor" shows the surrender of Taldor to the Satrap of Qadira.







Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Predictions of Doom: Pathfinder Pre-Painted Minis


The bloggosphere and social media has exploded in a frenzy of activity regarding the announcement yesterday that Paizo and WizKids (the heroclix people) have come to an agreement regarding a line of prepainted plastic Pathfinder minis. See more details here, but the bloggosphere is filled with

Personally, and very honestly, I couldn't care less. I won't buy them myself. I like to prep, prime and paint my minis and that part is important to me.

That said... many others do not share my love of painting and playing with miniatures. And for those people, I think this is good news. The "sample" presented, the Kyra miniature is very nice and looks pretty good. Wizkids' stuff used to look pretty bad in its infancy but recently the quality has gone up very nicely, case and point, their superhero stuff is pretty cool (I do own a collection of Marvel un-clix'd minis). I used them for Mutants and Mastermind and really enjoyed them.

Though not announced yet the price will be a big factor in determine its overall success. There is little doubt in my mind that the comparable 4e characters mini packs have sold reasonably well (judging by how often they appear on the table). Packaging, pricing and grouping will be critical to the success.

I expect a pack that includes all or most of the main rulebook's iconic Pathfinder characters (such as Kyra, Merisiel, Ezren and Valeros) and maybe some special goodies (goblins and an ogre maybe?). The packaging will resemble the latest special packs produced for their superheroes line (clear hard plastic to showcase the minis).

So while I can say a clear "not for me" to those, I look forward to playing with those new figs. I actually predict they will do well. Well enough for a bigger set or more "monster packs"? That remains to be seen. But I recommend you store owner stock up early on this.

WOW! Predictions that do not predict the end of time and that do not include a single jab towards 4e... I surprise myself! Have a good day everyone, the world of gaming is not yet ending!

JP

Worse than scum!

Today is the official release of Enemies of NeoExodus: The First Ones. A book I spent a lot of time on thinking about them. From the start they were already quite flavorful and plain old nasty. But I wanted them to be scary. Its one thing to write how scare and dangerous a monster is, but until they are WRITTEN and statted to be scary. I am looking forward to seeing what people think about them.

My favorite quote comes from Linda, my editor. As we talked about them, I asked her if she would like me to run her through an adventure that featured the First Ones. Her answer was "Oh no! They are too scary!".

Music to my ears!

Later, I asked her if she would like me to modify "Encounter at Ramat Bridge" to include them, again she declined. Then I told her I would modify the script and put a large number of encounter featuring the Scythians, the Exodites and the Khaynites, just for her. She laughed and said I would not do that because I wanted to play-test my adventure.

You know what... I hate women. I really do. I hate them. If you are a woman, I hate you. You are just SO FRIKKIN good at reading my mind! Even over social media. Whether it's my wife, my daughters (yes, I have TWO), my mother, Linda, D'Anne or pretty much any one of you!

[Rants off maniacally into the distance about why we guys are all dumb asses]

Anyway, the First Ones is now available right here RPG Now

JP

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

PaizoCon Joy!


Yesterday, the auction for PaizoCon events ended, and as you know my NeoExodus adventure "Encounter at Ramat Bridge" was on the ticket (see this previous post). I'll admit that I was quite nervous about sign ups. I mean this is the first public NeoExodus event that I know of and I did not know how it would be received by the gaming community.

So this morning before work, I hit the Paizo site to check up on sign-ups. WOW! 6/6 players. This made my (still young) day! I mean, yes I had coffee, but good news like that really lifted my spirit. I could prance around with joy (and make my "realwork" coworkers flee in terror). Yeah. Nothing worse than a fat guy jiggling with joy...

Since I'm feeling so happy, I thought I'd share with you all the preliminary cover Louis designed for the NeoExodus Adventure line. I was very keen on bringing back the NeoExodus logo (I like it) while keeping the format of the more recent PDF, which is the blue band in the background and have the title of the adventure prominently displayed.

I'll admit the addition of the art in the band is a touch I really like. The sew-up lady freaks me out. A lot. I love it! She is just... eeeh. What do you think of the cover?

This morning I talked to my old partner in crime, D'Anne Rooney (of the now-defunct County of Urnst triad, telling her how exciting it was to have a product premiere at a convention). This is going to be the first "real" premiere of a product (non-play-test and non-preview) I've written since URC8-05 Witches of Pikemaster back in May of 2008! So so long ago...

Some might point out that I did have some LFR adventures... but those didn't count. They were not released at a major event, they were just released. Enough 4e talk, this is about good news.

Based on feedback of this coming Monday's play-test, I may offer one slot of it for Tacticon on Labor Day Weekend. I'm pretty confident but that's why I engage in frantic and deliberate play-tests, to make sure my confidence level is bolted.

Good times.

HEY WAIT A MINUTE! Now I have to: Finish painting minis (4 to go), finish the iconics (2 to go) and just get everything complete!

AAAAAARGH! (changes title to PaizoCon Panic)

Monday, May 23, 2011

NeoExodus: Creating the Iconics

I have been working on the Iconics for NeoExodus for the past few days. It should come as no surprise as the time of the play test for Encounter at Ramat Bridge approaches (next Monday!). So I kicked myself in the rear to Git'R'Done. I really have to. With interest in NeoExodus building, I tried to think about iconic characters that would represent the setting and be interesting to play.

Now, in the past I wrote a number of stand-alone events, with characters written specifically for that adventure. Making sure that characters have all the abilities they would need to complete the adventure is an important part of it.

But iconics are designed to be used and re-used over many adventures. They are not specific to a single, specific adventure. This in itself creates a few issues. Nothing impossible to resolve, but they have to be thought through to really be good.

Let's take a quick look at the other main group of iconics: 3e's and Pathfinder. Let's take the fighters: Redgar and Valeros. Redgar is the heavy armored, big weapon wielder. Valeros is a two-weapon fighter. Concept: simple and easy to understand. Everyone can pick them up and know what the character's role is and what is best for him. While he may not be optimal for every situation, they can be sent into any adventure and be effective.

I mean neither of those characters have strange concepts. They don't rely on overly complex combos to be effective. They do not use material from sources beyond the core book. They are simple, efficient and easy to understand how to use.

With all this in mind, I began to take a look at the races of NeoExodus.

Many of the races are what I would call complex races, like the Cavian (psionic rat-men), the Dalreans (plant-men) or the Sasori (humanoid insect information gatherers). Although I would love to include those races, I have to put them in the "complex" category. Scratch them for this first batch of iconics.

A quick look over the races... Let's see, Cynean, Enuka, Gevet, Human, Prymidian, P'Tan. After some thought the Gevet may be a little too focused so I took them out and replaced them with another human character.

On to the classes, but first things first, the basic four have to be represented: cleric-fighter-rogue-wizard. As I've been working on the Order of Kaga recently I think that using the "Cleric of Kaga" archetype. That should put a nice spin to it. Fighters are great in Pathfinder, so after thinking about using a paladin or a barbarian, I settled on the good ol' fighter. Trusty reliable fighter. Same goes for the rogue. I don't know of any class that fills the trapster niche like the rogue. Came time for the wizard, I had two choices either a sorcerer or a wizard. Since I used the "Cleric of Kaga" archetype, I went with the sorcerer.

So Cleric of Kaga, Fighter, Rogue, Sorcerer and two more.

Before moving on, I matched those classes with races. Clerics of Kaga made most sense to be human (since the prestige classes go that way). Fighter and Enuka are a match made in heaven. Rogue... hummm Prymidian or P'Tan... After some thought, I went with the P'Tan because making a Prymidian rogue would create a Charisma-based character and I wasn't exactly thrilled about that. Finally Sorcerer called the Cynean out.

That left me with a Human and a Prymidian... And two support classes to go.

The Prymidian race just calls for a bard so I went with that. Its a natural mix for them.

Finally I was left with a human character to go. In NeoExodus, the Arman Protectorate created cannons and large constructs to fight against the magically superior Dominion Khans. With Paizo play-testing the gunslinger class, I thought it would make a lot of sense to add one in there.

So that is how I came up with the first group of NeoExodus iconics. With regards to gender, I used miniatures at my disposal to chose. Since Encounter at Ramat Bridge is designed for 3rd level characters, each was built up to 3rd level. Also, while it might be optimal to multi-class certain characters, I opted for the straight class. As those characters are Iconic, I want to keep the simple, much like Redgar and Valeros. It is my not-so-secret hope that at next year's PaizoCon players come with their own characters!
   Cynean Sorcerer (male)
   Enuka Fighter (male)
   Human Cleric of Kaga (male)
   Human Gunslinger (female)
   Prymidian Bard (male)
   P'Tan Rogue (female)

So here you are folks... The NeoExodus iconics! Unless something major is found during the play-test, those are the characters who will be at PaizoCon

Friday, May 20, 2011

Dreaming of becoming a writer...


Almost a year and a half ago, I wrote an article for Wargames Foundry and blogged about it. Somehow, the article seems to have been lost in the ether and I had lost hope in becoming a published war games author (much to my chagrin I must add).

Fast forward to this morning... To my great surprise and happiness, I have a message from Wargames Foundry asking me about the article. It lightened my day! Maybe my dream can be realized! I'll let you all know as soon as I have information to share.

JP

Thursday, May 19, 2011

PaizoCon next step: The Playtest

If you have read this blog for any length of time, you know that I am extremely devoted and focused on play-testing game material, particularly adventures. I have to say that I have been extremely lucky with those as they have vastly improved the quality of my work. By getting different points of view on the work done, you get to see the flow.

As a computer engineer, static diagrams are fine, but dynamic ones often tells more of how something acts or should act at run-time. Play tests gives that dynamic view.The thing is to see the adventure not just as a series of numbers and stat blocks, but as its own "living" entity.

On Memorial day, I plan to run the first play test of NeoExodus. People have been contact and my own but needs to get in gear about it.

To give you all a sneak peek, here is one of the NeoExodus characters I have already painted up! The rest should be completed later this week. I need to. Now that I have a date prior to PaizoCon, I can no longer procrastinate like I used to. Pressure is good.


JP

[Warmachine] Rhulic minis painted

As I was building my NeoExodus collection, I traded a number of minis and ended up with the core of a Rhulic (dwarven) army. So I Ebay'd and got a few more. Painted them up, and here they are! Never having played the game, all I can say is that I really love the aesthetics of the army. Plus I never played a dwarf army before. Here are the first units of my nascent Rhulic army! There is a warcaster and some heavy infantry.








You can see more pictures of those minis (and those) on my Wonderpage

JP

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

[NeoExodus] Order of Kaga released!

The Order of Kaga was formed during the dark days of the First Ones’ rule. The Kaga (or simply Kaga) was created when mankind’s brightest minds united into a unique feat of arcane magic. They created a massive ritual that included more than a thousand arcane spell casters. The secret of combining their energy together is something the brightest minds have since tried to understand and recreate without success. Many believe that some great divine magic was used. Others believe that Kaga achieved godhood through the ritual. Others believe Kaga is just a front for some shadow organization.

This magical union gave mankind and its fellow slaves under First One domination an unexpected edge. Like a God-Emperor, Kaga led the rebellion in a series of apocalyptic battles that ended with the crushing of the First Ones’ bases on Exodus. The Kaga is a large repository of knowledge and at times in the past has provided mankind with information and wisdom to make the world a better and more stable place. The Kaga appears as a man made of arcane energy, looking like a red and silver human. “Priests” of Kaga do not draw their power from divine source, but from an arcane source that mimics divine powers.

Another book I did for LPJ Design has been released! It includes a full write up of the history of the Kaga's "religion", two new prestige classes, new archetypes, new spells, new feats, new magic items, new magic tomes, a new monster, adventure seeds, in short this one has a little of everything!

That book includes some very interesting twists on some classic theme. For example, every cleric of Kaga must belong to the archetype included in this book. This makes them clerics but arcane casters instead of divine.

Perhaps one of the coolest aspect of the book is the art. Louis is known for producing books with great art. Order of Kaga is not an exception! I just *LOVE* the art in there.

I really liked to work on that book as ideas for it just flowed and flowed. Built upon the work by RPG great Owen Stephens, this redesign and expansion of the previous book took the original work (which I'll admit I found a tad dry) and really tried to turn this book into a supplement to be used by both GMs and players, rather than "just" a straight background book. I took pains to focus on the "how to use this book" in your campaign.

I will admit that as I wrote it, I kept thinking how can I use this in an adventure?, a mantra I've been repeating to Louis for months now. Just non-stop. When I pick up a sourcebook, I want to know how I can use the content in an adventure or a campaign. This book provides that. A GM should be able to add the content quickly and get ideas. Players should also find a lot of good stuff for their character (particularly if they "worship" the Kaga).

Buy it at RPGNow: Click Here (includes a preview of the art I mentioned)

Additional details on Louis' Blog

JP

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Commissions done: Pathfinder Characters

In spite being doped out of my mind (with gout in my right foot), I managed through coffee and a few of a prayer to complete a number of painting projects that had been laying on my painting table. Most had been "nearly done" for a few weeks now, missing either flocking or a few final touches. So... without further ado, pics of my latest commission work.











You can see more pictures of those minis (and those) on my Wonderpage

Tomorrow, I should have a few more ready to go!

JP

Monday, May 16, 2011

More Commissions to come!

Just a quick update... I have a received a number of commission to do this month. I currently have a base coat on all those minis and will be magic-dipping them either tonight or tomorrow...

The first is Kevin French's future halfling wizard. To say that Kevin and I have a long history is a euphemism. From almost coming to blows to spending 15 hours in a car ride from Denver to Wisconsin, many miles and hours have turned us into good friends.

Next is a Shalelu the elf ranger from the Pathfinder range for Alyssa. I am always amazed at the ease with which the Pathfinder range paints up. The lines are crisp, clean and just paint up so easily. I was asked quite simple to make her blonde, and to "surprise" her. Sounds much easier. though I think what I have thought she will like.

Next is a warrior based off of Rovag the Knight. The request for the paint was "red armor with gold trim". So I immediately thought about the warriors of Khorne in Warhammer. The question that remains is "what red to use"? GW's Blood Red would be too flashy, Red Gore is a tad deeper but still he is not a warrior of Khorne, so I went for the darker Scab Red which I enjoy quite a lot as it gives a rich color and a more "natural" red for clothes (unless you are painting red coats or piping, I prefer a darker red). That one was set. Excellent.

My final commission, was perhaps the most complex. Based on the half-elf rogue. My client had some specific requirements. Nothing over the top (black cloak, white fur brown gloves and boots). The toughest thing is to paint last areas of black. For some unknown reason, I have a strong aversion to painting black on large surfaces (such as a cloak), so I'm planning on cheating and come up with a dark blue color... Blue is nicer and creates a much richer color than black.

The last mini I am working on it not a commission. Rather it is the first iconic for NeoExodus, a female P'Tan based on Reapers' cat girl.

So here is a quick update and preview of what I'm working on.
JP

Monday, May 9, 2011

PaizoCon: I'm on the lottery!!!

For those who are heading to PaizoCon, one of my creations, NeoExodus: Encounter at Ramat Bridge is on the ticket! For a moment it was jeopardized because of issues at Louis' home, but I after a chat (where Louis managed to stay awake in spite of the late hour), the decision was clear: we wanted "Ramat Bridge" to be run - I worked hard enough on it!

Designed for both NeoExodus fan and newcomers to the campaign, the adventure has action, story and more than one opportunity to role-play. Drawing material from a number of new (and some yet-unreleased) NeoExodus products, the adventure aims at introducing the campaign and some of its major players.

Now I need to get it playtested and the NeoExodus iconics built (we'll use the iconics for the game).

PaizoCon Link I'll be your host and GM for the event!

As an added bonus, participants at PaizoCon will get to decide some story elements of NeoExodus that will be reflected in future products of the NeoExodus line! Yes... not only do you get to play a fun adventure set in NeoExodus, but you also get to influence the WORLD.

JP

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Critique of Paizo’s Gunslinger Class

I have been talking to a number of people who play Pathfinder Society and I’ve been rather surprised by the hate generated by the Gunslinger class currently in playtest available at Paizo’s website. Go ahead, it is a very interesting read.

The Pro: Pirates are now real pirates, no more puffy bow-wielding or crossbow-totting wannabes… No. They wield pistols and muskets, fire cannons and mortars at towns. They don’t have to "proxy" weapons to do what they should do. Now if you want to create a pirate, you have a pirate. You wield a cutlass and a pistol. Or if you want to create a D’Artagnan-style musketeer, you got it.

Could you have created a similar concept using a crossbow or a bow? Yes. Did we need a whole new class for this? Not really. The gunslinger character could’ve very easily used a specialized fighter using an archetype, as presented in the APG.

The Con: I’ll be honest. I dislike the name and the old-west terminology used in the class. That is my biggest gripe with it. The term "grit" and "gunslinger" make me think of the old west: John Wayne movies, horseback riding through the plains, or the showdown at the OK Corral. Although I don’t really have anything against that, I like the west (so much so that I left my home to settle here and buy me some land!). But images of the West and

When I think of what a gunslinger should be, I think of a swashbuckler (such as D’Artangnan and the three musketeers), or a gentleman robber (such Du Val) or even a murderous bandit (such as Richard Turpin). I see wenches and swinging from chandeliers, I see carriage pursued by the Cardinal’s men and our protagonist doing all sorts of stunts to get them off his trail. I see damsels in distress.

I also think of pirates, ruthless men like Captain Kidd, Lolonois, Morgan or Blackbeard. Even gallant adventurers and sailors like Captain Cooke or Jacques Cartier (who discovered Canada in 1534) or even builders and explorers Samuel de Champlain (founder of Quebec in 1608). I guess one could even add the entire cast of RL Stephenson’s Treasure island (another cherished book).

All of those characters are from the 17th through the mid-18th century. That is the era of the single-shot firearm, the era of the flintlock and sword. An era of gallantry and grace the 19th century really lost, especially in its second half. With massive conflicts like the American Civil War, the Franco-Prussian War, the Zulu and Boer Wars, the massive imperialistic wars of conquest in Africa and Asia, nations really emerged that did not have the same pizzazz, the same flavor. The French Revolution really ended that era…

I don’t see John Wayne doing any of what those guys did. He’s just not the type…

Things I would’ve preferred: Naming the class "Swashbuckler", "Highwayman" or even "Musketeer" would’ve really brought a whole different feel to the class. It would immediately have brought images of lonely English Moors under the moonlight, fast mounting horses with a quip remark and Your purse or your life! Oh Sorry milady, if ye dance with me I shall let you be on your way… Wayne Reynolds’ AWESOME ART (as usual) for the Gunslinger Iconic really brings the feel and flavor of the era I think about when I imagine the class, the names just feels… Well it feels wrong.

Instead I think of John Wayne. You’re gonna get it, Pilgrim! or even The Man with No Name… It’s just not the same. Cool? Yes, but differently.

Had Paizo gone for a more 17th-18th Century name, I think the class would’ve received much wider appreciation. The flavor, what is presented, points towards that time period. It should be much more Le Pacte des Loups (Brotherhood of the Wolf) than True Grit or The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

More on this later.

JP

Monday, May 2, 2011

Doctor Who: Prequel and upcoming game...


I am really into this new Doctor Who series and the 11th Doctor. Though at first, I didn't really know what to make of him, him and his companions (the lovely Amy Pond and her husband “mister Pond”/Rory). The relations between the three of them really adds to the interest and fun of the series. Since the 2005 reboot of the series, the Doctor's companions have really become more than eye candy and have become characters of interest.

A few months back, I began to watch the old series, starting with some of the episodes I believed were most interesting (the Dalek and Cybermen episodes). Having done all of that, I went back and began to watch all of the original series. At the time of this, I'm watched all of Hartnell through Tom Baker (I am currently watching “Seeds of Doom” as I write this).

So far we're two episodes into the new season, and I'm hooked. Though I did find the defeat of the creatures to be something of a let-down (it was fun to set up, but for creatures that were as well entrenched... they got their butts kicked very easily). Still a lot of cross-story and story arc advancement.

Why am I writing this? Other than to encourage you all to watch Doctor Who? Because I will be running another episode of Doctor Who during the next City Wide Game Event on the 21st of May at Gamers' Haven here in Colorado Springs (Warhorn Site for pre-registrations). I had a number of interesting story elements but these latest episodes are really getting me excited and I might pull of a good ol' switcheroo before the game begins!

Using the 11th Doctor is a problem as I was thinking of using either the First or Second Doctor in the story... But now I'm thinking about a few plots using Matt Smith and the current crew...

JP