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Illuminated Site of the Week
January 31, 2007: Everything Reminds Me Of Munchkin Now
I am a bad man. I saw the CNN.com headline "Class, race blamed for killing Katrina recovery" . . . and immediately wondered "How much treasure did they get?"
-- Steve Jackson
It's the end of the 20th century and the ship is sinking. Sure, you can try to bail water by downsizing or expanding your market share, but let's face facts. With your Burn Rate, you and your internet start-up will soon be sharing a room with Davey Jones. On the bright side, everyone else is in the same boat.
There will be a scheduled downtime for maintenance on the UPS that powers our network routers at 12:10 AM CST this Thursday, February 1 (Wednesday night / Thursday morning). The expected downtime window is approximately ten minutes. None of the Steve Jackson Games websites or mail servers will be accessible during this time.
Warehouse 23 News: It Takes Two, Baby
Expeditious Retreat Press just released a pair of adventures for a pair of gamers. Snag yourself a copy of One on One Adventures #3: The Forbidden Hills or One on One Adventures #4: The Sixth Cavalier and bring them along next time you take that special someone in your life out for a good time. It's sure to be a night they'll never forget.
So . . . the issue of global warming is generally accepted, except perhaps (I haven't checked recently) by Fox News. Those who say it's not happening, especially if they're speaking on behalf of polluting industries, are finding themselves labeled "deniers." Not that this is translating very well to action yet, but then we're not a terribly intelligent species. Still, just how long have some scientists seen it coming? Here's a movie quote.
Mr. Scientist: Even now, Man may be unwittingly changing the world's climate through the waste products of his civilization. Due to our release through factories and automobiles every year of more than six billion tons of carbon dioxide, which helps air absorb heat from the sun, our atmosphere seems to be getting warmer!
Now, without using Google, can you guess what DECADE that appeared?
Now I'll make you scroll down . . .
A bit more . . .
Okay. It was in the FIFTIES! Specifically, in the Frank Capra educational film The Unchained Goddess, one of a fantastic quartet that he did near the end of his career. I can still remember seeing these in elementary school . . .
You tell 'em, Frank.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: When Will They Learn?
If people would just stop scorning women, then women wouldn't keep having these unhell-like furies. Sure, these fits of fury can make for roleplaying fodder (like Mutants & Masterminds: Time of Vengeance, for example), but wouldn't it just save us all a lot of trouble if flowers or chocolate got involved?
Coffee. Doughnuts. A classic combination. But what if the caffeine was IN the doughnut? Well, to start with, you wouldn't have to hold the cup of coffee with one hand and drive with the other. No doubt there are other social benefits waiting to unfold. Read the story at newsobserver.com.
Warehouse 23 News: Oedipus Complex Sold Separately
Okay, so Mamma doesn't contain any patricide or grief-stricken gouging out of eyes, but we're fairly sure the entertainment value of the game is not diminished by their omission. Fairly sure.
Gen Con LLC has announced the cancellation of the Southern California show, for 2007 and in all likelihood forever. Here's the press release, and here's Peter Adkison's letter giving some history of the show and discussing the decision.
We were all prepared to tell you how great The Werewolves of Millers Hollow is and how wonderful your life would become should you choose to purchase said game from us . . . but then those pesky body snatchers invaded. Again. Sorry, folks, check back tomorrow!
January 26, 2007: Illuminated Site of the Week: Red State, Blue State, Solid State
The United Kingdom warns us - or rather, it commissions the Office of Science and Innovation's Horizon Scanning Centre to do it for them - robots may be advanced enough to ask for rights within our lifetimes. There must be some cachet in being able to invent a drain on our own society, yes? The OSI has the report and BBC News has the story.
-- Suggested by Martijn Vos
Fortified with 50% more stuff and 25% more thingies (though only 5.23%, more fnord), The Gamers: Director’s Cut is the definitive version of everyone's favorite film about wasting time in a college dorm. That's right, definitive. We checked the dictionary and everything.
Here's a really neat little animation, with live backgrounds. This made me grin! It doesn't look as though the site, as a whole, is finished, but if you have some time to kill, figure out where they hid their navigation (it's not THAT hard) and start clicking around.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: Countless Counters
So you've got your copy of Ptolus, and your players delve into the City by the Spire in that wonderful way only adventurers can delve. That is, with lots of stabby, swingy, slicy combat. Counter Collection: Ptolus (Digital) ought to help keep things flowing smoothly when the limbs start flying.
has nothing whatsoever to do with Giant Microbes. So you may ignore that irrelevant link.
No, Germsworld is a very attractively designed site showcasing the creations of Jeremey Claridge, aka "Germy." He's got:
- Free PDFs for foldable 6mm science fiction buildings (great for Ogre).
- Free PDFs for other paper stuff . . . 25mm buildings, floor plans for dungeons, space stations, and a Victorian cellar, and even foldable SF vehicles.
- Free PDFs of SF game rules, including a supplement for Dirtside II.
- Pictures of his sculpted miniatures . . . mostly 2mm SF with a "soft" look that will appeal to any Vaughn Bode fan. There's also some 10mm fantasy. Yes, 10mm . . . a third the size of "standard" fantasy figures. How cool is that?
-- Steve Jackson
We all can agree that medieval Europe is "ancient," right? So what do you call the magic in Ars Magica: Ancient Magic? Preancient? Subancient? Let's just call it "cool" and be done with it.
My thanks to everyone who gave feedback, in the forums or elsewhere, on the Report to the Stakeholders.
The recurring questions were:
"OMG what if Munchkin is just a fad?" Well, its sales pattern so far has not been that of a fad. It didn't become our top seller overnight; it built up over the course of years. That's a far more comforting pattern for the long run, and makes us feel confident that, even if it peaks tomorrow, there won't be a rapid decline. And so far there's no sign of peaking (cue cheers from the audience). But, at any rate . . . if Munchkin sales slow down, we'll put more time into other things. Truly, not a problem.
"PDFs just aren't as nice as hardbacks." This has not escaped our notice. Nothing that we publish generates as much "Oooooohhh!" around the office as a shiny new GURPS hardback. But it IS nice to be able to release a lot of GURPS material despite the constraints of hardback production.
"Will the Report to the Stakeholders be on a Fnordcast?" Yes.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: What . . . Is Your Joke?
To imitate the famous scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. What . . . is your quest? To sell the Monty Python: Holy Grail Plush. What . . . is it gonna take to get you nice people to stop reading this silly advertisement and just click the link?
So, with Munchkin the priority for 2007, it would be reasonable of you to ask how we're doing on that.
Pretty well, actually.
The reprints are more under control than they have been in a while, and work on new releases progresses. The next one to ship is, of course, Munchkin Cthulhu, and it's almost ready to go to press . . . I should be approving card proofs in a day or so.
The one after that is a supplement - title to be announced Real Soon Now. I might be able to give that one its first in-house playtest this week, if nothing distracting happens Monday or Tuesday. If something distracting does happen, well, next week for sure . . . probably . . .
The one after that is another supplement and I haven't done ANYTHING on that. Yet.
But the one after THAT is a new stand-alone game - you may now guess wildly about the theme, because I'm not saying yet - and, because I got on a roll over the holidays, a lot of work on that one has been done already!
So, on the whole, Munchkin goes well. Rejoice.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: Bigger, Better Bags
Do your dice dwell dangerously? Adrift in your dork domicile? Don't dispair! Dapper, downy duffels for dice do detain dodecahedrons delightfully.
Another part of the globe falls to the Munchkin invasion! It's now available in Portuguese, from our friends at Devir. Grumble, grumble . . . time to update the Munchkin website again. Is that 10 languages now?
Warehouse 23 News: Like Bargain Hunting. Only With Guns.
Why should the cops go to all the trouble of gathering evidence, doing legwork, traveling from spaceport to spaceport, and generally making themselves sweaty and tired when they could just make you do it? Babylon 5: Bounty Hunter, because the authorities are too busy trying to figure out the "green/purple" thing.
Not enough people know Jordin Kare's "Fire in the Sky." Now a new generation will hear this anthem to Man in Space, sung by Kristoph Klover . . . because there's a video by Vu Trong Thu on YouTube.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: Yeah, But How Many?
Y'know. Many. More than a few. If you wanna know exactly how many, just pick up The Deck of Many Things and count 'em out. Other Things sold separately.
January 19, 2007: Illuminated Site of the Week: The Mote In Man's Eye
You thought it was irritating when someone asked you to help them find their lost contact lenses, but Berkeley is taking things to a whole new cosmic level. Stardust@Home would like you to help them find micron-sized bits of space dust. You'll long for the days friends just begged for a ride to the airport. -- Suggested by SilverFox
Warehouse 23 News: Spaceships! In! The Grouuuund!
Doesn't . . . quite have the same ring. Eh, anyway, Dungeon Crawl Classics #36: Talons of the Horned King sounds pointy, but there's far more to the adventure than talons and horns. There's a big, metal "boat that sails the stars," loads of critters to cleave, and enough techno toys to bring that stupid "game balance" to its bony knees.
It looks as though things will start to clear up in Austin sometime Wednesday. We have more cold coming, but (it seems at the moment) no precipitation for a few days, so it should soon be back to business as usual. Which makes us lucky, compared to most of the country. If you're reading this while locked in your house by two feet of snow - or two inches of solid ice - hang in there!
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: Wimps, On A Scale Barely Fathomable
What do you mean that's not what it's about? It's called Cosmic Wimpout, after all. No? Dice, huh? Um, must be the, erm, cold weather . . . affecting our . . . reception . . . from InfoSat 523. Ahem. This isn't the ad you're looking for.
Depending, of course, on what you're counting. Ten million elephants would be excessive. Ten million bacteria are ON YOU RIGHT NOW, euw, and you don't even notice. But our front page has reached ten million views since we started counting in 1995, and that's sort of cool.
Warehouse 23 News: A Series Of Tubed Dice
You can't just dump plush, novelty-sized polyhedral dice in a big truck. That is precisely why Toy Vault packages their Fuzzy Dice: Plush Polyhedral 7-Die Set in big, plastic tubes.
Austin is only getting the edge of the ice storm that has shut down much of the country, but I've invited our staff to stay home tomorrow and Wednesday if conditions seem dangerous for driving. If we're a bit slow to respond to anything this week, that's probably why.
-- Steve Jackson
Uhhhhhn . . . Toast? Nuuuuh . . . Steak? Nuuuuuh . . . Tofu? Nuuuh! Uh? Ah! Mmm . . . Brains!
January 15, 2007: Multiform Manifest Of Mirthless Misery
A precis on Morgan, new clerk hire for SJ Games: I'm ectomorphic. I tend to brood and chuckle in equal proportions. I have enough training in Latin to crank-call the Pope (and that represents the sum total of the language's utility). I have a propensity for crafting large and heavy articles of jewelry, and a need to disassemble the handiwork of others (as a friend and coworker, I do this for constructive criticism. As a frustrated consumer, I do it out of exasperation.)
I have degrees in Classical Studies and Law. No, I cannot represent or advise you in legal matters, and I neither own or want a BMW. For recreation, I hit things that make noise (commonly known as drums). I'm a member of a nascent cover-band, and I revel at the idea of unleashing our absurdity on an unsuspecting public. I have no pets, though a raccoon in my apartment complex has appointed itself as my power animal. I like sushi and steak tartare (yes, raw meat. I was invited not to return to five preschools because of it). Last but not least: prior to moving to Austin, I never considered working in the gaming industry, but I am finding it agreeable. Highly agreeable.
-- Morgan Faber
Warehouse 23 News: Sacrifice Your Friends!
Do You Worship Cthulhu? Then it's okay . . . they're not really your friends. They just think they are. And that means you can toss them into the flames with reckless abandon! Provided they don't lynch you, of course.
January 14, 2007: Ryan Dancey's 2007 Industry Predictions
Ryan Dancey, founder of Five Rings Publishing, and later business manager for RPGs at Wizards of the Coast, offers a fairly sobering set of predictions for the hobby industry in the year ahead.
Warehouse 23 News: Magic. The Manly Kind.
You'll find none of that hoighty-toighty, self-affirming, circle-of-life "magic" that you supposedly see in a baby's smile or a butterfly's emergence from a chrysalis. No! We're talking about Magic of Glorantha, the sort of magic that utilizes verbs like "engulf" or "sunder" or "transubstantiate." Y'know, cool magic.
January 13, 2007: Illuminated Site of the Week: "I've Got A Secondhand Apron"
If you want to know what the Secret Masters are up to, you'll have to find a member willing to initiate you into their mysterious ways, who will guide you and nurture your talent for the enigmatic. Or you could get dispatches from the Masonic District of Prince Edward. Is it accidental their lodges offer only blank pages? You can ask at the next meeting. -- Suggested by Hogan
That is not dead which can eternal lie, and it can do so in comfort and style with the Plush Necronomicon Pillow Book. Part book of terrible secrets that drive people to the edges of sanity, part comfy pillow, this plush version of everyone's favorite blasphemous tomb is sure to start a horrifying conversation or two.
According to the most recent note in his blog, Robert Anton Wilson died early Thursday morning. The note is signed by Wilson himself. The reasonable explanation for this is not nearly as much fun as the other kind.
Warehouse 23 News: Cutest. Outbreak. Ever.
GIANTmicrobes has expanded its line of contagiously cute plush, so grab a hazmat suit and have a look at the latest in gigantic itty-bitty life forms.
It's posted, and it's on time this year!
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: And Lo, The Lord Did Spake
And He did say, "Build Me stuff." And lo, it was good. Until that other omnipotent, omniscient being of untold splendor didst pick a fight unto the Lord. And lo, things didst get kinda . . . messy. And lo, Gheos was played.
Downtown Austin, a few minutes from our offices, was shut down through much of Monday because 63 dead birds were found on a couple of blocks of Congress Avenue. Local authorities freaked out totally (ah, excuse me, I mean "reacted quickly") by stopping traffic on Congress and closing the buildings that front it. It was eventually determined that there was no immediate danger to public health, though apparently lab tests for evil spirits, Illuminati involvement, etc., are still being conducted. Here's the News 8 Austin story.
-- Steve Jackson
Last year I had a great time at OwlCon, the game convention at my alma mater, Rice University. So I'm going back. I'll be there all Saturday, Feb. 10, with things to playtest, including the still-in-development Evil Ted, at least one new Munchkin release, and the usual grab bag of submissions under consideration.
This is a good con - if you're in the Houston area, come by and see me and play some games.
-- Steve Jackson
True20: Liber Artefactorum is not a title to be taken lightly. It's Latin, and when a publisher breaks out the Latin-to-English, you know they have something important to say. And we should know.
We're pretty sure now what we're going to do in 2007. Most announcements will still be made about four months before release, but here are a few leaks for you:
- An ample sufficiency of new Munchkin foolishness.
- Lots more GURPS material in e23.
- Evil Ted will be pushed back till October 2007, because really, it should be a Halloween release.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: Senior Citizen Smackdown
With great power comes great, big, honkin' fireballs that smite your foolish enemies into tiny, charred bits of ashen dust that you stamp into floor smash bang STOMP! . . . Ahem. Where were we? Oh yes, power! Great power. Eldritch Ass Kicking power.
 Once again we see that Car Wars was real. Yes, it's a light cycle mounting a 75mm recoilless rifle. A genuine French military vehicle which saw action after WWII . . . and, if the site can be believed, it did NOT have to stop moving in order to fire.
Warehouse 23 News: All Your . . . Naaaaah
Let's just try and escape this advertisement with at least an iota of dignity, shall we? Cardboard Heroes Bases are back once again, with three standalicious flavors: blue, green, and white.
January 6, 2007: Celebrating Three Years Of Proof That Science Can Be Cool
Spirit has now been on Mars for three years, and Opportunity's third anniversary will be January 24.
Wow. Just . . . wow.
-- Steve Jackson
Warehouse 23 News: The First Six Weren't That Important
But buddy, wooo, that last one? When The Seventh Seal opened, all hell broke loose. Now there's all manner of devils and demons running around and generally making a mess of things. Still, on the bright side, there's never a dull moment during the Apocalypse.
January 5, 2007: Illuminated Site of the Week: . . . And The Sea Give Up Its Tomography Test Results
Even in ancient Rome one had to beware geeks bearing gifts. Work on the Antikythera Mechanism Research Project proceeds more than 100 years after the discovery of this mechanical analog marvel in a Roman shipwreck. Where was it going? Who built it? Right now scientists would settle for figuring out how it worked or what it was for, two questions that may have been answered. BBC News has the story. -- From multiple suggestions
Warehouse 23 News: Warehouse 23 Top Ten
Warehouse 23 has posted an updated Top 10 Page for December. Check it out, and see what all the cool kids are buying . . .
The Omniscient Eye, the regular Pyramid feature which gives real-world
answers to gaming questions (Is a secret
headquarters for my arch-villain plausible? And where are the flying
cars?) is still looking for experts to expand coverage on a number
of subjects.
What we want are qualified experts in some field of
endeavor or study. You should be a working professional (current or
former) or have significant academic credentials in your area. We're
good on mathematics, computers, physical sciences, and medicine.
However, we're very interested in hearing from experts in "softer"
subjects: law and government (police officers, lawyers, civil
servants, diplomats, politicians, public policy advisors, private
investigators), business (bankers, corporate executives, specialists
in manufacturing and production), and social sciences and humanities
(psychologists, historians, anthropologists, experts in literature and
the arts). And we're always interested in experts in any field with
practical application. Are you an expert in air traffic control?
Industrial manufacturing systems? Wilderness survival? Civil
engineering? We can find a use for you.
If you're interested in becoming an expert and answering the
occasional question for the Eye, send your name, email address, and a
brief summary of your expertise to the Omniscient Eye feature editor Matt Riggsby at iron.llama@gmail.com.
And, of course, we're always ready to answer questions, too.
The Omniscient Eye seeks to answer questions that are tied to
knowledge of the real world, providing information with a perspective
that is of use to gamers. The Omniscient Eye does not concern itself
with specific game systems or statistics. Do you have a question for
the Omniscient Eye? Feel free to send it to
pyramidquestions@yahoogroups.com, and the Omniscient Eye might answer
it!
-- Steven Marsh
Editor of Pyramid Magazine
Easily the grandest unity of "stupid" and "fantasy" ever, Stupiduel: Fantasy Expansion is guaranteed by the Secret Masters to make you laugh until your heart explodes.
I-Wei Huang likes making gadgets that use the power of steam. Here's his steam-powered Armatron. Explore his site for remote-controlled steam tanks, walkers, a rolling ball machine, and more.
Warehouse 23 News: Pack. Fanny Optional.
Keep your eldritch scrolls and magical artifacts handy with the Call of Cthulhu: Plush Waist Pouch. Because what's a little dignity between geeks, right?
The Air Force has been been testing a beam that can create great pain at a distance, with - they say - little or no actual damage. They intend it as an "area denial" weapon, to disperse mobs without the use of lethal force. SF fans will recognize the principle of the Klingon agonizer, as well as the "pain box" the Bene Gesserit used to test Paul Atreides. Now, why didn't the science fiction writers think of building a big one? Truth can be scarier than fiction.
Read the Wired story for more information. Slant alert: the author spends so much time deploring the historical failures and misuses of other nonlethal weapons that you have to wonder if he'd prefer that we went back to, say, grapeshot.
-- Steve Jackson
Welcome to 2007. I hope your 2006 ended on a high note (ours did) and that your 2007 will be even better (we have our fingers crossed!). And if you're reading this in a Western time zone and your local ball hasn't dropped, cheers!
-- Steve Jackson
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