Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Superspies and Superscience!

No, that’s not a new RPG. It’s just a brief description of what is conflicting in my mind right now. On the one hand, I recently saw Quantum of Solace (very fun movie, not quite as good as Casino Royale, but good nonetheless). So, my mind, as it usually does, has taken a detour from fantasy to the world of superspies and fantastical espionage. Yet, the fantasy is always there in the background, especially with a new D&D game looming on the horizon. Add to that a sudden, and inexplicable renewed interest in Edgar Rice Burroughs and his John Carter of Mars series, and you can see how my creative juices are flowing like a showerhead, with lots of little streams going in all directions.

Of course, there’s the idea of combining them. A friend on Facebook jokingly suggested an Orc Superspy. And that reminded me of a D&D world I had created that had gone through an industrial revolution, and the technology was about where we are now, but with magic (in a watered-down form) being utilized alongside hi-tech gadgetry. I may have to explore this option.

On my own RPG creation front, my Orcs RPG is awaiting a little review from a buddy. I had borrowed a bare-bones version of a dice mechanic from another game, and I am waiting to hear his opinion of just how much I can get away with without being accused of stealing.

So, what do geeks read? Well, depends on the geek, I guess. A lot of the people I know and talk too read a lot more “educated” books than I do. Many read historical non-fiction, “classic” fiction and generally the kind of stuff that makes my head hurt. What do I read? Um, a lot of fiction based on RPGs and other games, Mack Bolan books, occasional comic books, sometimes a Conan story or two. Basically, I read at the same level as I did when I was 14. Does this mean I’m weird? Not that it matters. I KNOW I’m weird compared to Normal Society, so being weird compared to Geek Society wouldn’t be that big of a deal. I’m just curious if any of my fellow geeks have the same thoughts and habits.

I’m hoping to afford a new scanner someday. I’ve been doodling a bit more lately, and perusing DeviantART a lot more. I really want to draw more, and learn how to do more art-related things. Eventually, we’ll be getting some painting supplies, since my wife has a healthy interest and talent in that area. Someday, I want to do a painting that is “Frazetta-worthy.” That’s my artistic goal. Well, one of them anyways.

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