Over 5879
people caught hunting for naked-elf-woman GIFS here in the last seven days.
July 5, 2009: British Library Opens Newspaper Archives
Sounds dry, doesn't it? But when the archives in question are online, searchable, and drawn from 49 London-area newspapers from 1800 to 1900, things get a bit more interesting.
The searches are free, as are articles from the Graphic and the Penny Illustrated Paper. Accessing the entire archive of digitized publications will cost, however. For around $12, you get 100 articles over 24 hours; for just over $16 you get 200 articles over seven days. Public libraries in the UK may be able to get free access.
The academic applications are obvious and certainly cool on their own. What was the "must have" style during the War of 1812? What did early reviewers think of A Study In Scarlet? Researchers into family histories can gather not just names and locations, but day to day activities. Was your forefather a bookie? A "Charles Villiers Chapman" -- also operating under the name "Paul Coverdale" -- seems to have been. (I wonder how far back into my family tree I'd need to go to find him?) How were the shocking and lurid events that occurred in Whitechapel reported?
Gamers, of course, have their own use: Victorian plots. Classic Call of Cthulhu scenarios can always use more atmosphere, and real newspaper clippings are just what the doctor ordered. Use it for "notes from back East" in Old West games. Throw bits from the society pages into your Castle Falkenstein campaign.
-- Paul Chapman
Randy's Road Trip Update
Holiday weekend or not, Randy gets no rest! Today, he'll be in Baton Rouge, LA, visiting Little Wars from 3-6pm. His demo copy of Frag Gold Edition should fit right in!
Warehouse 23 News: e23: A Much Lighter Tone
If cartoons aren't enough to soften the game, then how about Teen Champions? All the rocket-boot wearing, bad-guy-punching, end-of-the-world-preventing action of superhero stories with all the light-hearted good times one can find in a high school! (Hmm. On second thought, maybe it isn't "lighter" than Dark Champions: TAS . . .)
Happy Fourth of July!
Here in the States, this day traditionally involves outdoor grilling and pyrotechnics. So, have fun, but be safe!
-- Paul Chapman
Randy's Road Trip Update
Randy is spending part of his Fourth at Visions Cards and Games in Montgomery, AL, from 6-9pm. His trip is nearly complete!
Warehouse 23 News: e23: A Lighter Tone
Champions is fairly four-color. Dark Champions is a bit more gray. If you toss them in a Literary Blender, however, you get Dark Champions: The Animated Series. It has Champions' costumed extravaganza with Dark Champions' grim demeanor. Best of both worlds? We dare say so.
July 3, 2009: Everything You Want To Know, Simplified
Nearly everyone knows Wikipedia, that treasure trove of knowledge occasionally corrupted by knuckleheads with more typing skill than sense. And we've all seen the various non-English versions on the http://www.wikipedia.org/ page.
Now there is the Simple English Wikipedia. Like traditional Wikipedia, anyone can add or edit articles; however, the guidelines restrict each article to the 1,000 most common and basic words in English. This avoidance of technical jargon and complex concepts makes the information resource perfect for children, or adults learning English as a second language.
As a huge fan of Wikipedia, I feel this is wonderful -- a tool for the generations who will have broadband before they develop their full vocabulary. However, as a cynic, I'm hoping that same generation quickly catches on to the fallibility of their fellow netizens.
-- Paul Chapman
Randy's Road Trip Update
Randy's back on the road! Today's another double-header, with his first stop in Louisville, KY, to hang out at The Louisville Game Shop from 2-5pm. From there, he'll head down I-65 to Nashville, TN, for some games at The Game Keep, from 8-11pm.
For Randy's complete itinerary, check out our Where's Randy? page.
Sorta. Hero System Sidekick Revised is the leaner and meaner version of the full Hero System rules. If you're looking to break into the game, but don't want to have to break into a bank to do it, this is a great place to start.
Of course, when the scale is "1:1" and the item is question is a mech -- specifically, a RX-78-2 Gundam -- "model" becomes completely insufficient to describe it.
Bandai has built the 18 meter tall structure in celebration of Mobile Suit Gundam's 30th anniversary. There's 15 huge lights inside it, and the head actually moves. Here's a YouTube video of it, and plenty of still pictures here, here, and here.
While I'm not the biggest Gundam fan in the world, I do love giant mechanical humanoids. And just the sheer scale of this puts it firmly in the "cool" category, no matter what your level of geek is (or your opinions of the original series, or the spinoffs).
It certainly sets the bar on 30th anniversary gifts. I wonder what a 1:1 scale model of an Ogre would cost?
-- Paul Chapman
Warehouse 23 News: e23: Everyday People
Without some to rescue, protect, or sell T-shirts to, heroes sorta lose their foundation. If a missle is about to hit a city that has nobody in it, there's really not much reason for Mr. Super Defenderguy to fly out there and catch the thing. He should stay home, kick back, maybe catch The Daily Show. But fill that town little Little Susies and Bob Normals and you've suddenly got a crisis! So, if you a Gwen Stacy or an Alfred Pennyworth (and trust us, you do), then you need Everyman.
CONvergence is a convention in the Minneapolis area that's been getting a lot of buzz among my group of geek friends. So, for my vacation, I'm combining visits with family and friends with a busman's holiday, and will be attending CONvergence. Other than attending a couple of panels to heckle friends, I don't have anything formal planned, so feel free to accost me if you see me and ask about our plans for Munchkin or anything else. (And I just might have some promo stuff to get rid of, or unreleased games to show off . . .)
-- Andrew Hackard
Warehouse 23 News: e23: Fantasy Has "Super" Heroes, Too
Not so much the crime-fighting kind, of course. Still, the fantasy genre has its share of folks more powerful than a steaming locomotive. Only difference is that It's because they're wearing a Ring of Being More Powerful Than a Steaming Locomotive +2, rather than being from Alienplanetia. Fantasy Hero lays out the details. (Although . . . we suppose you could drop costumed supers into a fantasy setting if you really wanted to. In fact, that's just weird enough that we're going to encourage such behavior. Enjoy)
June 30, 2009: Call For Playtesters: GURPS Horror
The stars are right for another manifestation of that Unspeakable Evil, GURPS Horror! Penned by illuminatus Kenneth Hite, this grimoire reveals the arcane secrets of running a successful horror campaign. Extensive advice to players and GMs is key, but this is bolstered by a plethora of bone-snapping crunch that demands careful experimentation: monstrous abilities, statistics for a legion of dreadful Things, tools for fools who would hunt these Horrors, and enhanced rules for fear, madness, and Horrid Tumors.
When we last cast the bones, we learned that the stars would move into alignment on July 10 and remain that way until August 11. If you are a horror-steeped Adept of GURPS and available during that period, then we could use your help in the ritual circle. The only hard requirement is sufficient sacrifices to Plutus: Playtesters must be registered e23 customers who have spent more than $50 at e23 in the past 12 months.
Experience is always an asset in such grim matters, though! At minimum, the Whispering Voices expect you to be conversant with the GURPS Basic Set. Facility with theses on eldritch powers -- especially GURPS Powers and GURPS Thaumatology -- is another thing that They regard favorably. Familiarity with even older writings, particularly past incarnations of GURPS Horror, is also valuable. Finally, as there are so many creatures here, those who have previously demonstrated a gift for deciphering The Numbers That Describe The Beast (i.e., checking stats) will move to the top of the queue.
Prospective playtesters should e-mail jwilson@io.com with [GH] in the subject. Include your preferred e-mail address for the hermetic playtest mailing list, correct spelling of your name as it may appear in print (True Name optional), your e23 login name, and a few words on why we would want to be down a dark cellar with you: qualifications, experience, etc. relevant to horror gaming. Also tell us your favorite work of horror -- be it comic, film, novel, RPG, television show, or video game -- since 1999, as well as your favorite of all time. Information about preferred submission formatting is in the forum post for this playtest call.
-- Steven Marsh
Warehouse 23 News: e23: Masks, Muscles, And Mucho Magnifico Men!
Sure, professional wrestling has had its share of weirdness, but have you ever seen an American wreslter take on the mafia? Or A vampire? A Martian? Lucha Libre Hero dives deep into the world of Mexican masked marvels fighting for truth, justice, and having a truly awesome time. ¡Viva lucha!
We warned you this would happen -- we're all bugging out, taking some time before the con season, the heat, or the combination deplete our sanity points. Today, June 29, our office sits silent, and said silence will continue until Monday July 6 when we'll return to normal business hours.
Without our bright shining faces, no Warehouse 23 orders will be processed. Neither will we be able to return your email or phone call with our usual promptness -- sorry!
e23 will be automatically processing orders, but we won't be able to deal with any special requests or questions that arise.
And finally, as everyone knows from their own vacations, we'll likely be swamped when we get back into the office on the 6th. Emergencies will get dealt with as fast as possible, but there may be a slight delay before other, less on-fire issues are handled.
-- Paul Chapman
Also, Gladiators
(A brief interlude from Fox Barrett)
Normally, I get my own Daily Illuminator's worth of space to write this, but Paul has forced me to share this time around. And, if the product I'm here to hawk is any indication, the logical thing for me to do is fight Paul to the death over it. Lucky for him, I'm busy enjoying my vacation. (Also, I'm terribly lazy.)
So I'll cut this short. Go buy GURPS Martial Arts: Gladiators or be torn apart by lions.
Randy's Road Trip Update
This post is getting pretty long, so I'll be quick. Randy will be hitting two stores today: The Guard Tower in Columbus OH from 12-3pm, and Yottaquest from 6-9pm in Cincinnati. As always, see his complete itinerary at Where's Randy?
Warehouse 23 News: e23: Dog & Pony Game
Animals. Y'know, they make up nearly 100% of the intelligent life on the planet. Why not include a few in your games? The HERO System Bestiary will help you do just that. Provided you read it, of course. Which you can only do after you buy. Which you can only do by giving us money. So . . . give us money! Please?
