Masks Off

Masks Off — Blue Ink Alchemy

I've had kind of a shitty week. I haven't heard from recruiters. Barely a word from the dayjob leads I'm pursuing on my own. I've had difficulties in maintaining focus, getting words out, not being pulled into discussions on the Internet. Hell, I finally went to bed at a reasonable hour last night, and I still didn't rise again until most of the morning was gone. I'm pissed at myself, which is kind of dumb, since I have no conscious control over whatever the chemicals in my brain are doing on a day to day basis. I'm not even on any drugs. Nothing fun, at least. It's all vitamins and mood stabilizers and cholesterol regulators, and even those are starting to run dry. (The last two, at least. I've got vita-gummies for weeks.) The thing is, waking up and making coffee and sitting here, a thought occurred to me. I could do an extensive write-up on the experience I had yesterday with some GG folks who were actually nice to me, and answered my questions logically, and the really terrible knot in my stomach that I got afterwards. But I'm not going to. For one very simple reason. I'm not getting paid for it. I'm going to write the article. I'm going to give my observations on the phenomenon, how it's grown, what it does - really does, in spite of what happened yesterday - and what it could mean for the future of gaming culture. But I won't be putting it here. It's going to get pitched. I'm going to write about the appeal of old games and why GoG announcements make me giddy. I'm going to write about the reasons why I'm finding myself playing Old Republic so much lately. I'm going to write articles from the perspective of a cantankerous old bat of a gamer who wants the Candy Crush kids off of his goddamn lawn and the Call of Duty fuckwits to stop egging his house. The only way to write is to write, and I think I've been afraid to do that. I look in the mirror and I see something that scares me. I see someone tired. I see someone bruised and battered. I see someone who doesn't believe he's good enough to make it on his own, and I mean entirely on his own, no corporate structure or steady paycheck to back him up. The mask has worked so well. The smiling mask. The one I would put on every morning before the commute to the office. I think I've been trying it on again, and the damn thing is itchy and uncomfortable and sticking to my skin and I'm sick of it. I mean, I can be that guy, but I don't necessarily want to be. Yes, I know. Beggars can't be choosers. Any port in a storm. A job is a job is a job, and slinging burgers at McPuke's or presenting clothes to women who feel judged and uncomfortable just walking through the goddamn door at the Gap is better than no income whatsoever. I'm not an idiot. But I'm also sick and tired of pretending. I'm not a hateful person by nature. I'm an optimist. I would like to believe in the better aspects of humanity, that individuals can rise above the miasma of self-centeredness and stupidity that seems to dominate our species. In my mind, intelligent folks who can conceptualize the circumstances of others and imagine those concepts in a complex manner can work together to make the world a better place. I've seen it happen. Unfortunately, I don't see it happening often enough. I see people taking advantage of others. I see victims who carry senses of shame and regret a hundred times bigger than their cardboard signs, victims of a system that's fucked them over or choices they would undo if someone just gave them a chance (but nobody does). I see fat cats getting fatter while they people they claim to care about and protect suffer and scream and plead and die in obscurity, their supplications drowned out by lobbyist money and the hum of narcotics. I see societies and individuals railing against change because it means that you don't get to have all of the best toys to yourself anymore. I hate that bullshit. I hate ignorance. I hate misogyny. I hate rampant materialism. I hate reckless misinformation. I hate the corruption of young people. I hate corporate globalization and I hate upper-crust greed and I hate people who lack empathy or compassion and I fucking hate making people feel worthless because they don't fit your advertising image and I fucking HATE people who make liberal use of slurs like "faggot" or "bitch" or "slut" or specific racial terms I won't repeat, THOSE ARE HUMAN BEINGS YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT YOU IGNORANT ASSHOLE. This is me with my mask off. Boo. I'm a role-player. I write fiction. I pretend as a matter of course. And I'm pretty good at it. But you can only lie to yourself for so long before it starts to drive you insane. I'm not giving up on the job search, but I can't maintain this level of dishonesty with myself and people who would choose to trust me with what is, to them, important work. I've tried it before and I've always let people down. The more I push myself to try and care, to adopt that mask, the more something inside of me rails against it and along the way, something breaks. I really need to stop getting into that cycle because it never ends well. Hence the brutal honesty. I'm going to start coming at things differently. It's never too late to change things. It hasn't been easy so far, and the practical and static side of me has been fighting me along the way because, like I said, change is frightening. Lying to someone to land a cushy corporate gig is easier than putting myself out on the edge of everything, tossing out pitches on the end of lifelines and hoping someone grabs one and gives me just enough positive momentum back from the void so I can finally say, without a trace of irony or caveat, that I am a goddamn journalist. If I can do that, I can write more and write even better, because I won't be held back by this endless sense of guilt that plagues me because I might be letting down my parents since I'm not holding down a steady job. If I can do that, I might be able to forgive myself for wasting a good portion of my adult life chasing cubicles instead of opportunities for a decent byline. If I can do that, then I can finally set this stupid mask on fire, and never look back. That's the plan, and I'm fucking sticking to it. If you believe in higher powers, pray for me. If you believe in luck, wish me that. Otherwise, just keep reading. A mind needs words like a sword needs a whetstone, and my words are worthless without your eyeballs.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

Reset and Realignment

Reset and Realignment — Blue Ink Alchemy

Today is a busy day for me, but I'm still having trouble getting the day started as early as I'd like. I'm doing what I can to reset my schedule so it's easier for me to rise when my alarm goes off, not when my cat paws at my face until I feed him. But I still managed to pay bills, toss out some resumes, and get myself ready for some errands. So that's something, I suppose. My writing waits to be completed, words and ideas crouched for employment in the corner of my mind. I'll be unleashing them soon. But first - cheap gasoline! ... in my car, I'm not going to drink it or anything.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

From the Vault: No Guilty Pleasures

From the Vault: No Guilty Pleasures — Blue Ink Alchemy

I've had a pretty rough week so far, so instead of the post I wanted to make, here's an expansion on a comment I made to my flatmate the other night, while she was watching The Mindy Project. It took me a while to encapsulate this idea properly, but here it is.

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I'm making plans to go see Transformers: Age of Extinction later this week. Possibly on that most American of holidays, Independence Day. What better way to celebrate the birth of a nation and honor the sacrifices made by those fighting for its autonomy than a big-budget action movie filled with Americana iconography and military/weapon fetishism? I'm someone who tries to see media in general, and movies and games in particular, from a more critical standpoint, adding my voice to those attempting to discern good qualities from bad and directing the spending of those willing to listen. Admittedly, however, there is a part of me that will always love the Transformers, no matter what Michael Bay does to them. And that's okay. I'm honestly getting more and more disillusioned with the notion of the 'guilty pleasure'. There's an idea in our culture that there are certain things that we are not allowed to enjoy, or at least not allowed to admit we enjoy. We should hate ourselves for eating food we know is bad for us. Entertainment that goes for cheap thrills or laughs should be put down. And if you admit to enjoying sex, slut-shaming will fall on you by the bucketfuls. I mean, it should fall on everyone in this culture, but I think we all know women get it a lot more than men do because the patriarchy is, in fact, an extant and present danger to progress and free thought. Let me wrestle this thing back onto my point. My point is that, as long as one is being safe and smart in their choices, no pleasure should be labeled as guilty. Sure, if you eat nothing but fast food all the time you're going to have health problems, but that isn't to say you should never eat any fast food ever. There are those who make that choice, and they're healthy people I admire. I may even join them someday. But on occasion, I will get a hankering that can only be satisfied with a late night Taco Bell indulgence. Basically, if no actual harm is occurring, and things are being taken in moderation (including moderation, as St. Augustine would say), it's difficult for me to really describe any pleasure we take from life as "guilty". After all, life is long and difficult, and moments of true pleasure, joy, and release can be hard to come by in our daily struggle to keep ourselves and our dreams alive. Why make things even more complex and potentially hurtful for ourselves or others by leveling judgement on what we enjoy? Sure, some things can be objectively bad or wrong with what we like. We can acknowledge that red meat is bad for us. It's easy to see the flaws in a movie that's not up to standards. Hell, I love Flash Gordon even though I know some of its effects are cheap even by the standards of the day and a good few story points make zero sense. But I love it in spite of those flaws. I enjoy the hell out of the time I spend laughing at the antics or belting out Queen lyrics. It's just fun. It's a pleasure. And I don't feel guilty about it. I don't think you should feel guilty about your pleasures, either.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

Go Outside

Go Outside — Blue Ink Alchemy

I love the amenities of modern life. Video games, the Internet, films, toaster ovens, books, on and on. As a writer, I am used to making myself a bit of a recluse, something of a hermit, tucked away in a solitary room where shelves heave with papers and the only sounds are the tapping of keys, the scratching of nibs on parchment, and my occasional outburst of profanity. But I have to remind myself that I need to go outside. People are outside. This can be a frightening thing, to be sure, but it's also where stories come from. Every person is experiencing their own story. There's also the fact that this is our audience, as writers. The people wandering the streets, riding in buses, and grinding their teeth in cubicles want - no, need the escape fiction provides. And we, as writers, are poised to provide that escape. Fresh air is good for you. Even a brisk walk to and from the corner store can do wonders for the body and the mind. I'm a big proponent of public transit, not only for the environmental aspect and its positive affect on city infrastructure, but because it promotes folks like me not being quite so lazy and actually walking more from place to place. I have errands to run, and I'm actually looking forward to it, because it means getting out of the house. I'm not saying you have to go run a 5k. I'm not saying you should eschew key work times to go for a stroll. I am, however, saying you should go outside from time to time. Your work, your games, and your refreshments will still be there when you return, and the rewards will be all the sweeter for your efforts.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

Flash Fiction: Hello Human

Flash Fiction: Hello Human — Blue Ink Alchemy

So Chuck Wendig coined the phrase Spammerpunk and I thought I'd get down on that.

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Hello human, Greetings from another human. I am human and interested in human things. Your planet which you call Earth has many resources important to humans. An offer generous to humans can be made. Many lucrative offers to other humans have provided human familial units with much material wealth for reasonable replacement demands. Many benefits material wealth can be provided unto your fleshy human carapace especially when alternative is complete annihilation of species. Compliance is preferable to resistance. Please to be considering generous offer.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

500 Words on Trolls

500 Words on Trolls — Blue Ink Alchemy

Yes. They're real. They're disgusting. They think they're always right. But they don't live under bridges; they live on the Internet. 'Trolls' is modern shorthand for people who use the broadcasting power and, occasionally, anonymity of the Internet to spew their opinions at people. No matter how ignorant or misinformed those opinions might be, these people like nothing better than to put themselves out into the world as experts in their fields. There are times when you can't grok the context or tone of plain text when presented, but in the case of these folks, there's almost always an air of smugness and faux superiority. I don't know how they do it; but they do. As succinct as 'trolls' is as a descriptor, I feel like a better, more descriptive one already exists. Guttersnipes. Think about it. It fits perfectly. People take aim at a topic or comment they wish to inflict themselves upon, and fire off idiotic rounds of so-called 'knowledge' into an unsuspecting crowd that had neither the desire nor the need to hear what they have to say. That covers the 'snipe' part - the 'gutter' part comes from the fact that it's one of the best places to live when you surround yourself in shit. Much like pigs. The thing about the perspective of a pig, is that they likely see things around them in the context of pigdom. When the farmer comes by, unless the pig is Babe or a MENSA member, pigs likely belive it's just a bigger pig who happens to walk upright and always carry a slop bucket. When you're a pig, all you see is other pigs. Pigs, however, are better than trolls.

"I am fond of pigs. Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals." - Winston Churchill

Trolls don't see you as equals. Like cats, but without the benefit of cuddly fur or attractive purring, they look down on us. They think they're better than us, more enligthened, better informed. Let's overlook the fact that a lot of their opinions tend to come from FOX News, or hate groups like GamerGate, or some place even more idiotic like 8chan. Any intelligent creature can expose themselves to this sort of hateful, ignorant, inflammatory dross and recognize it for what it is. It takes a particularly loathsome human being to simply parrot those things. The worst ones are the ones that backpedal. When they get called on their bullshit, they start to take up a less controversial position. They will make a racist remark, and then when called on it, will say something like "I'm colorblind". That way, they maintain their supposed moral superiority and can accuse their accuser of being overly sensitive. It's bullshit, and these people live in it. How do we deal with them? Don't feed them. If you engage them, you will find their positions intractable and their smugness insufferable. They may consider silence a victory. Some fights, we just can't win. Image courtesy Bewytchme.com & GU Comics

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Blue Ink Alchemy

NaNoWriNOW

NaNoWriNOW — Blue Ink Alchemy

Courtesy Floating Robes Hey, you out there! Yes, you! Aspiring novelist! Getting geared up for NaNoWriMo? Got some ideas? Pencils sharpened, pens inked, paper at the ready? Excellent! I wish you the best of luck. I won't be participating this year. Or... maybe ever. Don't get me wrong. I like the concept. It's a structured event to shake would-be writers out of complacency and the motivation-sucking doldrums of everyday life, and makes them write, dammit. I mean, if you are a writer, you should be writing. Otherwise, this fellow is going to yell at you. And you don't want that. Trust me, you don't want that. It's all shotguns and dogs and beards and whiskey breath and using "fuck" as a preposition and oh god the nightmares. I kid, I kid. He actually does brush his teeth. But that's why I won't be doing NaNoWriMo. I have one novel that's been in final draft hell for far too long, and another idea that is so eager for me to start writing about it I can feel it lingering in the back of my mouth, like the somewhat cottony feeling from last night's drinking binge that can only be washed away with more precious booze. So I'm not going to wait for November to start writing that novel; I'm going to start right the hell now. Well, as soon as I finish this post, but you get the idea. As I've said, I don't want to disparage NaNoWriMo. I say if you want or need the impetus to get that idea moving forward, go for it. I'll be happy to cheer you on and give all the advice and support I can. I just don't feel I can wait for the new month to roll around. I have, in a very real sense, waited long enough. Too long. My time to write is now.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

Game Review: Poo

Game Review: Poo — Blue Ink Alchemy

I know a lot of people who have a fondness for Cards Against Humanity. I can't deny the appeal of a social lubricant with an unlimited number of players and a puerile sense of humor. The fact of the matter is, though, that there isn't much game there. In my humble opinion, if you want to play an actual game with your friends, and still laugh at the goings on just on the face of the cards in play, look no further than Poo, a card game by Matthew Grau, who went on to design a follow-up dubbed Nuts. More on that later. You and your friends are monkeys at the zoo. And you're bored. To amuse yourselves, and possibly the tours of school children walking by, you've decided to start flinging poo at one another. As monkeys get absolutely caked with the stuff, the keeper hauls them away to get hosed off. The last monkey standing (that is to say, least covered in poo) is the winner. The premise, really, could not be simpler. Gameplay is simple, as well. On every turn, the monkey in question plays a card from their hand, either to fling poo or to clean themselves off, and then draws to replace the card played. Out of turn, other players have cards that allow them to defend (for example, using your buddy's face to block an incoming wad) or cause mishaps ("Nope, sorry, that was just a fart!"), also drawing to fill their hands afterward. There are also special events, like poo landing on the lights or the tiger getting loose. With clear rules listed on the cards, written in conversational language, it quickly becomes clear that this is definitely a game that anybody can play. Experienced gamers will recognize that Poo is, like so many other games, an exercise in hand and resource management. Timing is everything, from how long to hold on to that Dodge card to the correct moment to let fly with The Big One. While there is definitely some thought involved in these decisions, it can't be said that Poo is a very strategic game, nor is it meant to be the sort of experience that goes on for hours. It's quick and funny, an icebreaker or a social game, which is good because of its other flaw: player elimination. In a social setting, say around a dinner table or with a round of drinks, player elimination is not a big deal. Conversation and kibitzing adds to the flavor of the experience for those left standing. In other environments, though, player elimination can be troublesome. Poo mitigates this with hilarious art and its blatantly worded cards, but it definitely benefits from a more casual setting than some other games. Like Cards Against Humanity, this is more meant to break the ice between people, or pass the time amusingly while waiting for food or in a queue, but unlike Cards, there's definite gameplay, split-second decision-making, and humor based more on the content of the cards themselves than the context of how they read for a particular person. Poo comes in a standard tuck box, which can make packing or unpacking the game slightly problematic at times. Still, it's sturdy and travels very well. The follow-up game, Nuts, is similar in theme but sees players hoarding their resources rather than giving them away. I haven't played Nuts myself, but if Poo is any indication, it will likely be an improvement on an already memorable and very good design. If you have a group of friends you see often, or if you want to introduce your family to gaming using a brand of humor most people can get behind (since everybody poops), I'd definitely recommend Poo.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

Flash Fiction: Strong Yet Subtle

Flash Fiction: Strong Yet Subtle — Blue Ink Alchemy

For this week's Flash Fiction Challenge over at Terribleminds, Picking Uncommon Apples, the random number gods bestowed upon me 28, 18, and 31. Here's what came out of those choices!

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Ravenna slipped through the opened grate with the sort of smooth ease that only comes from years of practice. She heard the soft splashing behind her and closed her eyes for a moment. After a quick check of her surroundings, she turned and knelt by the hole in the floor, reaching down to take the stretching hand. As soon as he could, Barnabus set his other hand on the side of the hole to pull himself up, though he still needed Ravenna's help. She suspected that, unlike her, he had not spent his childhood running through the forest, climbing trees and rocks, and learning how to hide. "My apologies," Barnabus said quietly, trying to kick some of the moisture off of his boots. "I misjudged the height of the run-off tunnel." The tall, gangly man looked somewhat uncomfortable in the trousers and vest, since Ravenna had insisted his normal attire, a colorful robe decorated with the moon and stars, would be impractical. Ravenna held a gloved finger to her lips, then took another look around. Coming up in the castle's dungeon was risky, given that it was patrolled by guards and could contain all sorts of means to betray their position and purpose. However, she had also chosen to come at night. There was soft snoring from a nearby cell, but otherwise no sound. The stone corridor was lit by a torch on either end, and to her left, she saw the stairs spiraling up. "Come on," she whispered, walking forward in a deliberately cautious fashion. She glanced over her shoulder as they approached the stairs. Barnabus, for his part, was trying to do the same, his dark eyes wide. He took a few steps closer to Ravenna, making full use of his long legs. "Are we sure he wouldn't be down here?" Ravenna shook her head. "He would have been if that serpent hadn't slowed us down. Lord Lamborne's auction has already begun. He'll be in the grand feasting hall." Ravenna was going to say more, but she heard a scuff of boots on stone above them. She held up her hand towards Barnabus, then waved him towards the inner wall. The stairwell had no alcoves or decorations, no means to hide. Ravenna set her teeth and braced herself, crouching down even further. As soon as the slick, polished boots of one of Lamborne's guards came into view, Ravenna seized it with both hands and pulled as hard as she could. The man, already heading down the stairs, was taken completely by surprise by the loss of balance, and toppled past Ravenna and Barnabus. Both of the intruders looked down at the guard's crumpled form, and after a moment of ensuring he was not rising to follow, returned to moving up the stairs. Ravenna reached for one of the daggers sheathed at the small of her back, and Barnabus reached up to grab her wrist. "No killing," he murmured. "The queen was quite clear." "Who said anything about killing?" Ravenna flashed Barnabus a dangerous grin and turned back to the opening into the hall ahead. The small dagger whispered free of its sheath. Another guard was walking on the opposite side of the hall, in their direction. Ravenna began to bounce a bit, timing the steps of the guard, and held out her free hand to Barnabus. "Wait here." Barnabus nodded, folding himself into the wall as best he could. Ravenna sped from the opening to the stairwell, her braid of long red hair coming loose as her boots hit stone. With liquid grace, she seized the guard from behind, the dagger rising to his throat. After a brief moment, Ravenna released him, and then clubbed him with the hilt of the dagger. The guard slumped to the ground. "The feasting hall has two guards at the door and two walking the perimeter," she told Barnabus as she sheathed her weapon. "But nothing on the balcony level." "Perfect." Barnabus rested his hands on the pouches hanging from the belt around his waist. "Can we still get there from the wall?" "If we're careful and quiet." She looked at him. "You're not as clumsy as I thought you'd be." He shrugged. "Unlike some others of my profession, I do like to get out and enjoy fresh air now and again." With a wry smile, Ravenna lead the way from the hall and along the wall that dominated the outer perimeter of the keep. The feasting hall was set near the southwest corner, and its interior was alight and full of noise. Ravenna and Barnabus avoided the guards on patrol and, with the help of Ravenna's grappling hook and sturdy rope, scaled the wall to slip in through a window on the second story. The feasting hall's interior had small balconies on the longer walls, and while there were stairs up at either end, all of the activity was on the floor below. "There's Crown Prince Rudolph," Ravenna whispered, pointing towards the dias at the back of the hall where the high table was set. "Do you have your distraction ready?" "Yes," Barnabus told her, reaching into one of his pouches. He produced a small, mottled orb, gray with black spots. "Something strong, yet subtle." She blinked at it. "That tiny thing? I thought you were a wizard. You said you'd distract the crowd - can't you do it with fire or thunder or something?" Barnabus looked annoyed. "I can, but I'd rather not cook us along with our reward. This, on the other hand?" He tossed the orb into the crowd. On impact, there was a burst of light and smoke, and out of the sudden fog flew a murder of crows, cawing and flapping at the startled nobles. They clamored and ran for the exits. Barnabus winked at Ravenna. "The Crow Egg," he told her. "A specialty of mine." "Okay, wizard," she replied with a grin, "color me impressed. Now, let's get the Crown Prince and get out of here."

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Blue Ink Alchemy

From the Vault: Change the Scene

From the Vault: Change the Scene — Blue Ink Alchemy

I am recovering from a long and exhausting but very fulfilling weekend. While I regather myself to make more concerted efforts, I'm doing writing in multiple parts of the house, so this seems appropriate for a From the Vault moment. Flash Fiction tomorrow!

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I've been finding it difficult to write lately. I have a ton of ideas chasing themselves around in my head, projects to complete and new novels to start, yet I'm running into some serious roadblocks. I have to assume that I'm not alone: a lot of writers are pre-occupied with many things, from life events to other endeavors to all sorts of personal issues. You should be writing - we all should - and if you're not writing, something has to change. If nothing else, you have to change your scene. A lot of writers have a particular area set aside for their craft. Away from foot traffic, secluded in some way, or just portioned off from the rest of a room, it is their fortress of solitude. When I move, I will be taking my writing desk with me, and it will be in a different corner from my computer desk. Even if it's just across the room, that separation is crucial. When life gets tossed into upheaval, it can be difficult to maintain the things that are essential to both our futures and our happiness. There's a great deal of immediate tasks to deal with when changes occur in life, and not everybody has the same reaction time. To get back to the good places from where we can be productive and happy, sometimes the scene has to change. I'm going to keep working on getting myself to that place. That's how I'm going to beat back the dark things and stay on track with my goals.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

Tabletalk: Tactical Actions in Twilight Imperium

Tabletalk: Tactical Actions in Twilight Imperium — Blue Ink Alchemy

Greetings, Your Excellency! You have been chosen to lead your people towards victory on the galactic stage. The Lazax Empire has been overthrown, and Mecatol Rex is yours for the taking. Perhaps. You must command vast armies, immense spacecraft, ambassadors, trade envoys, and the very industries of the planets of the former empire to defeat your noble rivals or, at the very least, beat them to the punch. Fortunately for you, I am here to help you. I am your humble tutor, and this is Twilight Imperium. Twilight Imperium is an expansive board game, for between 3 and 8 players, that is best described as a space opera in a box. Each player assumes control of one of the races who were formerly a part of, or interested in usurping, the Lazax Empire. From your home system, in one of the galaxy's corners, you will head out to achieve objectives, gather resources, build your forces, and defeat the other players. The first player to a designated amount of victory points is the winner! If you want to sit down with your friends and create your own science-fiction epic, vying for power and making backdoor deals to achieve your aims, this is the game for you. Just... put aside a day for it. Yes, an entire day. Maybe more than one if you have 8 players. But we'll get back to the timeline later; let's talk about how you play. For this tutorial, we will use the Federation of Sol. Each player, including you, will get one of these command cards. It's a reference sheet, a repository for the various counters you'll need, and a description of your race, its background, and its mentality. When the galaxy is mapped out, which is a mini-game in and of itself, one player will start the game with this, the Speaker token, indicating that they kick off the start of a round of Twilight Imperium: the Strategy Phase. Starting with the Speaker, each player chooses one of these eight overarching Strategies. I'll go over them in detail in a future session, but all you need to know for now, is that the Strategy cards determine the order of play for the round. So, if you choose Initiative (or Leadership, if you're playing with the expansions, which you should), you will go first in the round, even if you are not the Speaker. But regardless of where you are in the turn order... what do you do when it's your turn? Strategy Cards, as compared to an ordinary Reference Paw. The answer is simple: one of four things. (Five, if you count passing.) You can execute a Tactical action, Transfer forces between friendly systems, pull the trigger on your Strategy, play an Action card that designates you can play it 'As an Action', or you can pass. The round is over when all players have passed, and a new one begins. But let's go back to that Tactical action, which is the beating heart of Twilight Imperium, the thing that keeps the game moving and slowly paints the galactic canvas, one brush-stroke of starlight at a time. These are a few systems that could appear in your galaxy. Let's say you have forces at Jord, your home system, and you want to move them to the Tiamat/Hercalore system. That takes a Tactical action. Take one of your Command tokens from the Command Pool area on your command card, and place it on your target system.   This is called 'activating' the system. You move your space forces first, possibly into a hail of defensive fire from Planetary Defense installations, and dealing with any combat in space. Then, you may move your forces from your fleet onto the planet, possibly with bombardment, and even more defensive fire, and engage in invasion combat. Once that's done, you get any new planet cards you've acquired (face-down, so you can't use them this round), your turn is over, and play proceeds. That's a hostile system movement; how about if you have a friendly system to move to? Or build from?   It's similar to hostile movement. You activate the system, move in your fleet and forces, and then, if you've controlled the system since last round, you can build a space dock there. If you already have a space dock, you can build other units here, up to a limit imposed by the industrial capacity of the planet the dock orbits.   To build, you have to exhaust (turn face down) systems with resources equal to the cost of whatever you're building. In this example, we're going to build two Cruisers at Jord. To pay for these Cruisers, each costing 2 resources, we first activate the system our Space Dock is in, and then exhaust Jord by turning it face-down. If Tiamat or Hercalor were ready, we could use them to build more ships or forces, but since we just got them this round, we can only exhaust Jord. You can also do this as part of a Transfer action. Transfer actions are almost identical, but allow you to rearrange forces between two friendly systems, and build in one of them, but it consumes two of your command counters. And you need to keep that in mind, because you do not get these counters back. Not directly, anyway. This implementation of tactical actions is part of what makes Twilight Imperium so brilliant. Downtime for the individual player is minimized. And even when it isn't your turn, you're going to want to see what your opponents are doing. Even if they're light-years away from you, they might be building a fleet you'll want to try and dilute, or guide your allies... if you have any... into attacking. You're going to want to think two to three actions ahead, and time your movements as best you can, to obfuscate your true intent for as long as possible. For Twilight Imperium is much more than a game of moving plastic pieces and rolling dice. Next Week: Strategies and You - What's With The Trapezoids?

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Blue Ink Alchemy

Tabletalk: Netrunner Basics

Tabletalk: Netrunner Basics — Blue Ink Alchemy

Art by Gong Studios I have been well and truly hooked by Android: Netrunner for a variety of reasons. The game is steeped in atmosphere and flavor, from the names of each player's decks and hands to some truly stunning artwork. The second-hand market for individual cards is practically non-existent, making it a slightly more economical choice, even if the up-front investment can seem a touch daunting. And much like Hearthstone, it's possible to build a deck just using the Core Set of the game that has a fighting chance, or will at least yield a good time. The asymmetrical nature of the gameplay, however, can be off-putting for new players. I thought I would take a bit of time before diving into the nuances of the game's different Corp and Runner factions to talk about how the two sides play, and give some tips to newer players, or players who have tried to play Netrunner before and for one reason or another ran into obstacles not generated by the board state. Both the Corp and the Runner are trying to score Agenda Points. Only the Corp player has Agenda cards in their deck. The Runner must steal Agenda cards from the Corp before they can be installed and advanced. The Corp advances Agendas by installing them in remote servers, areas of the playing area to the side of their identity card (which represents their hand, or HQ), then spends credits one at a time to match the Agenda card's advancement requirement. The Runner can run on any server, be it one of the remotes created by the Corp, the Corp's HQ, their R&D (or deck), or Archives (discard pile). The Corp can protect any of their servers with ICE, specialized software cards that are installed perpendicular and face down in front of the servers they protect. The Runner has means to break or circumvent this ICE, but it buys the Corp precious time to score their Agendas. That's the basic rundown; let's get into some specifics. If you are the Corp, you control all of the information. The Runner has to keep their cards face-up on the table. From their Hardware to their Resources, you will always have a good idea of what could be coming at you. When you install a piece of ICE, it's face-down, as are your Agendas, Assets, and Upgrades. The Runner has no idea how, when, or even if you'll be paying the cost to rez (turn face-up) those cards. Knowing what you know, you can either push to beat the Runner before they get up to speed, or sit back and play a shell game, luring the Runner into traps or watching them bounce off of your ICE. Some of that comes from the choice you make in faction, but the confidence to follow through on your strategy comes from the fact that you know a lot more than the Runner does, at least in terms of board state information. Use that. If you are the Runner, you should be running. Running is the crux of the game and it should be done as much as is reasonable - and maybe some times when it isn't. It's how the Runner learns information, from the ICE the Corp has installed to the assets they're trying to protect. It keeps the Corp player engaged and can lead to them interacting more, be it choosing different ICE or exploiting the Runner's action in order to tag them or otherwise make the Runner pay. But it's also the only way the Runner can possibly win the game. The more the Runner runs, the better their chances of stealing an Agenda, and every run also has the potential to throw the Corp off-balance and derail their well-laid plans. Sure, you might end up getting tagged or taking some damage, but Netrunner is all about risk management. This is true on both sides. The Corp asks, "is it safe to install this Agenda? Can I convince the Runner that it's a trap? Should I stockpile credits instead?" The Runner asks, "can the Corp flatline me if I make another run and take more damage? Will I have enough time before he scores that Agenda? Is than an Agenda in the first place?" The game is rife with player choices, informed decision-making, potential for storytelling, and great moments of interplay. If you tried it before but found the asymmetry daunting or a particular player uncooperative, I hope after reading these tips you'd consider trying again. I'm going to be talking about the factions in the weeks to come; you might find something you like in one of them that'll convince you to give Netrunner a shot. The card catalog is growing, and player bases are becoming more established; now is a great time to get started.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

White Weenies: A Hearthstone Deck Dossier

White Weenies: A Hearthstone Deck Dossier — Blue Ink Alchemy

"Put your faith in the Light!" I've been making attempts to climb up the ladder of ranks in Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft for the last few months, in my spare time. ... And finally, I have a deck that, while certainly inspired mostly by another of the same name, has had enough tweaks that I feel justified in documenting it here. In Magic, there is a type of deck that is either powered entirely by white mana or features only the tiniest of splashes from other colors, and is populated by small creatures that grow larger thanks to global or targeted 'buff' enchantments. These decks grow from a rather innocuous beginning to present the opponent with a formidable army that is a lot tougher than it looked initially. Due to its color and the size of its creatures, it is called a 'white weenie' deck. The Hearthstone deck in question works on a similar theme. It is a Paladin deck, since the Paladin's Hero Power produces 1/1 tokens (a staple of a White Weenie deck in Magic) and the Paladin-exclusive epic weapon [Sword of Justice] buffs multiple minions as they are summoned. Combined with low-cost minions like [Argent Squire], [Knife Juggler], and [Leper Gnome], the deck presents itself as fairly aggressive.

White Weenies

2x [Noble Sacrifice] 2x [Abusive Sergeant] 2x [Argent Squire] 2x [Goldshire Footman] 2x [Leper Gnome] 2x [Argent Protector] 2x [Ironbeak Owl] 2x [Knife Juggler] 2x [Sword of Justice] 2x [Divine Favor] 1x [Truesilver Champion] 2x [Consecration] 1x [Hammer of Wrath] 1x [Faceless Manipulator] 1x [Leeroy Jenkins] 2x [Argent Commander] 1x [Guardian of Kings] 1x [Tirion Fordring]

A few similar decks like to run more minions with Divine Shield along with the [Redemption] secret, maintaining their board presence and therefore their aggression in that way. I opted for more of a midrange feel, featuring taunts and silence effects towards the lower end of the curve while maintaining powerful finishers like [Leeroy Jenkins] and [Tirion Fordring] towards the top. I also include a Guardian of Kings to recover from early aggression and both [Consecration]s to help stabilize against aggressive Hunters and Zoolocks. For the most part, the strategy of this deck is simple: swing for the face. Early aggression tends to pay off, and if you can force your opponent into trading their minions for yours, especially in a disadvantageous way, all the better for your success. Remember that, in this deck list at least, you have a healing minion that will help you recover any ground you lose against more aggressive decks. Decks that rely on high-cost mid-game responses, such as Handlock or most Mage decks, struggle to keep up with White Weenies, especially if you save your silence effects and direct removal to deal with large taunts and threats. Running up against Zooluck, Hunters, and Miracle Rogues is a challenge. You want to look for good early plays, such as [Argent Squire] followed by [Noble Sacrifice]. Most of the time, a [Sword of Justice] in your starting hand is a good thing, while high-end cards in the same hand are not. Against these decks, it's basically a race, and you'll want to put your opponent on an awkward footing as quickly as possible with some fast damage. Shaman and Priest, so far, are the worst matchups for this deck. They simply have too many early-game answers that either completely undercut your progress or put themselves in a superior position that White Weenies struggles to unseat. Just be aware of this, and try not to take the losses too hard. Let me know what you think of the deck in the comments! If you have suggestions to make the deck better, I'm interested in hearing them.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

Back On Track! ... Sort of.

Back On Track! ... Sort of. — Blue Ink Alchemy

So this marks the first week in quite a few in which I managed to get a post up every weekday, resembling my old blogging schedule. I'm not quite back to the point where I have posts lined up far in advance, but I'm getting there. I'll take progress where I can get it! I also finally repaired my Craptop, and have confirmed that yes, I can work on it properly while other things are going on in the main living area of the new house, or over in the dining area away from traffic and my normal distractions. I wrote yesterday, and I wrote today, giving some of the sequel to Cold Iron major rewrites. I already feel better about that work. Interviews are happening, I'm getting out for events (GeekGirlCon this weekend, for example), and basically doing my utmost to keep my head above water. I'm not back on the workout schedule I used to hold, nor am I completely stable in terms of bank accounts, but it could be far worse, and this are all good signs that things will be entirely solid in the very near future. Enjoy the weekend, everyone!

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Blue Ink Alchemy

White Weenies: A Hearthstone Deck Dossier

White Weenies: A Hearthstone Deck Dossier — Blue Ink Alchemy

"Put your faith in the Light!" I've been making attempts to climb up the ladder of ranks in Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft for the last few months, in my spare time. ... And finally, I have a deck that, while certainly inspired mostly by another of the same name, has had enough tweaks that I feel justified in documenting it here. In Magic, there is a type of deck that is either powered entirely by white mana or features only the tiniest of splashes from other colors, and is populated by small creatures that grow larger thanks to global or targeted 'buff' enchantments. These decks grow from a rather innocuous beginning to present the opponent with a formidable army that is a lot tougher than it looked initially. Due to its color and the size of its creatures, it is called a 'white weenie' deck. The Hearthstone deck in question works on a similar theme. It is a Paladin deck, since the Paladin's Hero Power produces 1/1 tokens (a staple of a White Weenie deck in Magic) and the Paladin-exclusive epic weapon [Sword of Justice] buffs multiple minions as they are summoned. Combined with low-cost minions like [Agent Squire], [Knife Juggler], and [Leper Gnome], the deck presents itself as fairly aggressive.

White Weenies

2x [Noble Sacrifice] 2x [Abusive Sergeant] 2x [Argent Squire] 2x [Goldshire Footman] 2x [Leper Gnome] 2x [Argent Protector] 2x [Ironbeak Owl] 2x [Knife Juggler] 2x [Sword of Justice] 2x [Divine Favor] 1x [Truesilver Champion] 2x [Consecration] 1x [Hammer of Wrath] 1x [Faceless Manipulator] 1x [Leeroy Jenkins] 2x [Argent Commander] 1x [Guardian of Kings] 1x [Tirion Fordring]

A few similar decks like to run more minions with Divine Shield along with the [Redemption] secret, maintaining their board presence and therefore their aggression in that way. I opted for more of a midrange feel, featuring taunts and silence effects towards the lower end of the curve while maintaining powerful finishers like [Leeroy Jenkins] and [Tirion Fordring] towards the top. I also include a Guardian of Kings to recover from early aggression and both [Consecration]s to help stabilize against aggressive Hunters and Zoolocks. For the most part, the strategy of this deck is simple: swing for the face. Early aggression tends to pay off, and if you can force your opponent into trading their minions for yours, especially in a disadvantageous way, all the better for your success. Remember that, in this deck list at least, you have a healing minion that will help you recover any ground you lose against more aggressive decks. Decks that rely on high-cost mid-game responses, such as Handlock or most Mage decks, struggle to keep up with White Weenies, especially if you save your silence effects and direct removal to deal with large taunts and threats. Running up against Zooluck, Hunters, and Miracle Rogues is a challenge. You want to look for good early plays, such as [Argent Squire] followed by [Noble Sacrifice]. Most of the time, a [Sword of Justice] in your starting hand is a good thing, while high-end cards in the same hand are not. Against these decks, it's basically a race, and you'll want to put your opponent on an awkward footing as quickly as possible with some fast damage. Shaman and Priest, so far, are the worst matchups for this deck. They simply have too many early-game answers that either completely undercut your progress or put themselves in a superior position that White Weenies struggles to unseat. Just be aware of this, and try not to take the losses too hard. Let me know what you think of the deck in the comments! If you have suggestions to make the deck better, I'm interested in hearing them.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

Game Review: Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Game Review: Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor — Blue Ink Alchemy

It has been a mere week since I wrote up my First Impressions of Monolith's open-world Tolkien-based stab-'em-up Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor. While I have not finished the game, I have opened up quite a bit of the world, engaged in a plethora of power struggles, learned a great deal about one of the darkest corners of this famous fantasy realm, and nearly thrown my controller in frustration on more than one occasion. I think we're on to a winner, here. Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor takes place after the time of the adventures of Bilbo Baggins in the Misty Mountains but before his 111th birthday in the Shire. At that time, Gondor was in control of the Black Gate of Mordor, its Rangers keeping watch over the dark and blasted valley of Udun that lead into Mordor. Talion, a Captain of those Rangers, lived there with his family, and was training his son to fight when the Black Gate is overrun. The assault is lead by the powerful and menacing Black Captains, on-the-ground commanders of Sauron's armies, one of whom personally puts all of Talion's family to the sword. Talion, however, does not die. His murder was part of a ritual, and that ritual somehow bonded him with a mysterious Wraith who has no memory of his former life. The two consciousnesses strike a deal: the Wraith wants answers, and Talion wants revenge. It has been mentioned previously that Shadow of Mordor has some elements in common with the games from the Assassin's Creed or Arkham games. Talion can certainly scale buildings and rock faces like an Assassin, and his combat style does have the same satisfying hit-block-hit-fininsh structure as Batman, but that is where the similarities end. These elements help shape the foundational gameplay and there really isn't much to say either way about it. The combat is fun when it's rolling, and it's good to have movement capabilities that foster both exploration and escape, but a truly memorable game needs more than that.
Not listed: Azdûsh's love for ice cream sandwiches and irritation with people snickering at his name. Shadow of Mordor does far more than giving you a list of targets to kill or a solitary objective to follow. Open world games will scatter quests, collectibles, and challenges all of the map, and this game does that as well, but apart from the map is the Nemesis system within Sauron's Army. Every orc you encounter has the potential to become a part of this system, just by killing you. When you die, the orc who defeated you gets promoted and more powerful, possibly challenging another orc for their position. Other orc captains within the Army struggle and squabble to get closer to the Warchiefs, the cream of the orcish crop. These characters do have distinct personalities - some are afraid of fire, others become enraged when they are wounded, and still others REALLY don't like the fact that you shot them in the face with an arrow and left them for dead. Thanks to these cantankerous Uruks, the world of Shadow of Mordor isn't just open; it lives and breathes. At first, the knowledge that there is no real penalty to the player for dying may sound like a deal-breaker. "Where is the challenge?" one might wonder. The answer is the Nemesis system. When you die, you have all of your powers and experience intact, but the world around you changes. Your killer gets glorified, power struggles resolve without your intervention making other orcs stronger, and another one of Sauron's Army becomes a target for your revenge. On more than one occasion, I have put aside my desire to advance the plot or learn more about the Wraith's story just to hunt down that one really irritating Orc that keeps getting cheap shots in on me while I am trying to kill his buddies. Dying may be free of direct consequence, but there are still ramifications that make it irritating, and coming back to exact bloody vengeance on your killer is incredibly satisfying, especially if they are in a position where killing them makes taking down one of the Warchiefs even easier. It is a stroke of brilliance that makes Shadow of Mordor unique and thoroughly enjoyable.
That "dagger" has a story. Ratbag (the orc) has a story. Talion's story has real pathos.
The world is rich and textured, and I'm not talking about the image rendering. There are a handful of things that keep Shadow of Mordor from being perfect. There are a few mandatory stealth missions as part of the main story that slow down the action, the way mandatory stealth always does. Getting the right prompt at the right moment can be dodgy at times, costing you precious resources as you try to detonate an explosive barrel or mount a ravenous, deadly beast to use as a mount. And your only thinking, feeling foes are the Orcs. While the Captains and Warchiefs have personalities and strengths and weaknesses, for the most part you're just slicing through the ranks to get to those unique guys, and that can get repetitive after a while, sooner for some if you're really itching for a lot of variety. But honestly, those are just some general nit-picks about the game, and the only real flaws that I could find that had nothing to do with my own learning curve or lack of experience. Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is definitely a winner. Its combat is visceral and satisfying. Its Nemesis system makes it a unique and challenging experience. The story is steeped deeply in the rich lore of Tolkien, from the identity of the Wraith to the texture of Mordor itself, from the connection of Gollum to the goings-on to the palpable sense of dread contingent with the return of Sauron. The music is haunting, the voice acting superb, the environments well-realized, and the game is filled with moments you will never forget. If you are a fan of Middle-Earth, solid combat systems, or unique gameplay features that make the game compelling regardless of its story or other aspects, you must play this game.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

Game Review: Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Game Review: Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor — Blue Ink Alchemy

It has been a mere week since I wrote up my First Impressions of Monolith's open-world Tolkien-based stab-'em-up Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor. While I have not finished the game, I have opened up quite a bit of the world, engaged in a plethora of power struggles, learned a great deal about one of the darkest corners of this famous fantasy realm, and nearly thrown my controller in frustration on more than one occasion. I think we're on to a winner, here. Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor takes place after the time of the adventures of Bilbo Baggins in the Misty Mountains but before his 111th birthday in the Shire. At that time, Gondor was in control of the Black Gate of Mordor, its Rangers keeping watch over the dark and blasted valley of Udun that lead into Mordor. Talion, a Captain of those Rangers, lived there with his family, and was training his son to fight when the Black Gate is overrun. The assault is lead by the powerful and menacing Black Captains, on-the-ground commanders of Sauron's armies, one of whom personally puts all of Talion's family to the sword. Talion, however, does not die. His murder was part of a ritual, and that ritual somehow bonded him with a mysterious Wraith who has no memory of his former life. The two consciousnesses strike a deal: the Wraith wants answers, and Talion wants revenge. It has been mentioned previously that Shadow of Mordor has some elements in common with the games from the Assassin's Creed or Arkham games. Talion can certainly scale buildings and rock faces like an Assassin, and his combat style does have the same satisfying hit-block-hit-fininsh structure as Batman, but that is where the similarities end. These elements help shape the foundational gameplay and there really isn't much to say either way about it. The combat is fun when it's rolling, and it's good to have movement capabilities that foster both exploration and escape, but a truly memorable game needs more than that.
Not listed: Azdûsh's love for ice cream sandwiches and irritation with people snickering at his name. Shadow of Mordor does far more than giving you a list of targets to kill or a solitary objective to follow. Open world games will scatter quests, collectibles, and challenges all of the map, and this game does that as well, but apart from the map is the Nemesis system within Sauron's Army. Every orc you encounter has the potential to become a part of this system, just by killing you. When you die, the orc who defeated you gets promoted and more powerful, possibly challenging another orc for their position. Other orc captains within the Army struggle and squabble to get closer to the Warchiefs, the cream of the orcish crop. These characters do have distinct personalities - some are afraid of fire, others become enraged when they are wounded, and still others REALLY don't like the fact that you shot them in the face with an arrow and left them for dead. Thanks to these cantankerous Uruks, the world of Shadow of Mordor isn't just open; it lives and breathes. At first, the knowledge that there is no real penalty to the player for dying may sound like a deal-breaker. "Where is the challenge?" one might wonder. The answer is the Nemesis system. When you die, you have all of your powers and experience intact, but the world around you changes. Your killer gets glorified, power struggles resolve without your intervention making other orcs stronger, and another one of Sauron's Army becomes a target for your revenge. On more than one occasion, I have put aside my desire to advance the plot or learn more about the Wraith's story just to hunt down that one really irritating Orc that keeps getting cheap shots in on me while I am trying to kill his buddies. Dying may be free of direct consequence, but there are still ramifications that make it irritating, and coming back to exact bloody vengeance on your killer is incredibly satisfying, especially if they are in a position where killing them makes taking down one of the Warchiefs even easier. It is a stroke of brilliance that makes Shadow of Mordor unique and thoroughly enjoyable.
That "dagger" has a story. Ratbag (the orc) has a story. Talion's story has real pathos.
The world is rich and textured, and I'm not talking about the image rendering. There are a handful of things that keep Shadow of Mordor from being perfect. There are a few mandatory stealth missions as part of the main story that slow down the action, the way mandatory stealth always does. Getting the right prompt at the right moment can be dodgy at times, costing you precious resources as you try to detonate an explosive barrel or mount a ravenous, deadly beast to use as a mount. And your only thinking, feeling foes are the Orcs. While the Captains and Warchiefs have personalities and strengths and weaknesses, for the most part you're just slicing through the ranks to get to those unique guys, and that can get repetitive after a while, sooner for some if you're really itching for a lot of variety. But honestly, those are just some general nit-picks about the game, and the only real flaws that I could find that had nothing to do with my own learning curve or lack of experience. Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor is definitely a winner. Its combat is visceral and satisfying. Its Nemesis system makes it a unique and challenging experience. The story is steeped deeply in the rich lore of Tolkien, from the identity of the Wraith to the texture of Mordor itself, from the connection of Gollum to the goings-on to the palpable sense of dread contingent with the return of Sauron. The music is haunting, the voice acting superb, the environments well-realized, and the game is filled with moments you will never forget. If you are a fan of Middle-Earth, solid combat systems, or unique gameplay features that make the game compelling regardless of its story or other aspects, you must play this game.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

Against the Grind

Against the Grind — Blue Ink Alchemy

The writers I am fortunate enough to know either in passing or in person are exceptional people. They are endlessly creative, skilled with language, and above all else, pretty stubborn. You have to be, if you want to make it as a writer. Especially given the systems in place in the world around us. When I would doubt myself or encounter bullies in my school days, my mother would tell me "illigitimus non carborundum - don't let the bastards grind you down." Despite being faux Latin, the phrase stuck with me. However, I've come to understand that rather than individuals doing the bullying, there is an entire system that wants to grind me, and people like me, down. In my case, the saddest part is that I subjected myself to it. Be it due to pressure from an impending life-change toward marriage and parenting or a complete lack of confidence in my ability to sell myself and my words, I turned away from the written word and towards a more immediately lucrative career path in programming. I can't say for sure if any one of the several motivations I had back then took the fore, or if it was a dire mix of many things, including undiagnosed mental health issues, that pushed me towards that threshold. Regardless, it was a decision I made, and I alone shoulder the blame for the next twelve years of struggle, failure, and aimless meandering. Yet, I never quite lost sight of that dream. I tried to maintain at least a semblance of writerdom, carving out words where I could. That is really what makes a writer, more than any sort of published success or positive reviews. The willingness to never give up. It was something absolutely necessary to maintain in the face of employers and creditors and clients. None of them gave an actual damn about my dreams, my frustrations, or what I was seeking to make my life better: it's all about the bottom line in those systems. As bitter as I might be about time lost to what was ultimately a dead-end pursuit, I know that without my experiences, encounters, and endurance of those times, I would not be who I am today. I could have struggled just as long given my relative inability to sell myself, and my writing has developed during that time in spite of the workload. Provided I can maintain a proper level of motivation, I should be able to use my experiences and desire to avoid those dead ends to achieve the goals I have been striving for as long as I can remember. Artists in general, and writers in particular, are iconoclasts. Molds and strict structures get broken. Work ethics and methods work in mysterious ways that baffle the bureaucrat and frustrate human resources. In the eyes of the strictly corporate world, writers should not be able to function properly, and yet they do, and sometimes even turn a profit while doing so. Go forth and do likewise, writers! Make some businesspeople's heads spin. Work against the grind. And don't ever let the bastards, whomever they might be in your life, get you down.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

Flash Fiction: You Had To Have It

Flash Fiction: You Had To Have It — Blue Ink Alchemy

For this week's Terribleminds Flash Fiction Challenge, I chose the sentence written by Vicente L Ruiz. Enjoy!

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I have witnessed the end of humanity. I don't know how any rational human being could have a different thought at the sight of people lined up outside of the ostentatious glass-walled store. For release after release, I watched them gather in excited little clumps, like concert-goers or the anticipatory audience of a brand new film, but this was for a piece of technology. These are over-priced, gaudy, soulless devices that wrap their purpose in distraction and push their purchases as hard as any pimp or corner dealer, and people are just sucking them up. They're getting more than they anticipated this time around. I'm sitting in a mass-market coffee shop across the street from one of these peddlers of pointless pretentiousness. It sounds funny to say it that way, considering this venue is no better, but it has the best view for what's to come. My cup of improperly brewed, thoroughly burnt swill sits in front of me, untouched. It is the rent I have paid for my seat; I am under no obligation to actually put the black sludge in my body. I have fresh beans, filtered water, and a flame-warmed kettle back home. I am here for the sights, not the fare. The glass-walled store finally opens its doors. The first patrons, camped since the night before, lead the assembled in a cheer and saunter through the large glass doors. I check my pocket-watch. It is a simple mental calculation, provided all of my measurements and equations were correct. The patrons start streaming out as others stream in, holding their new prizes high. I watch as one of the happy new owners unwraps the plastic sealant, dives into the ostentatious over-designed packaging, and touches the object of his desire for the first time. It's time for me to go. I walk down the city streets, head into the public transit stop, and ride to my neighborhood. The mail slot in the door to my rented basement is stuffed with mail I continue to ignore. My rent, utility bills, and other angry correspondence is not going to matter in - I check my watch - a matter of minutes. All over the country, people are opening up their new devices and letting their skin come into contact with the aluminum. I turn on my radio and I wait, looking over my scattered notes and my practice at writing and translating several Chinese dialects. My understanding and pronunciation of Mandarin were passable at least, and better than my Wu or Xiang, and clear communication had been a concern. Stowing away with international freight is not difficult if you know where to go and to whom one needs to speak. That necessity to speak is significantly more difficult, however, when it must happen outside of one's native tongue. With the right words, however, you can convey meaning, especially with clear gestures and items in hand. I bartered more than bought, acquiring what I could in the wild or out of public sight, making trades in disparate sections to avoid detection. Even cash can be traced, if one is clever enough. I open a can of beans from the stacks towards the back of the basement and spoon myself a mouthful. I am disinclined to go through the process of warming them up, so occupied are my thoughts with what is to come. I have anticipated outcomes, to be certain; one does not embark upon a plan such as this without some proper forethought. It is simply a matter of discovering which of the various sequences of events will play out. I have my hopes, to be certain, but there is a certain thrill in the unknown. The Emergency Broadcast System breaks up the flow of the station to which I was listening. It is a general message: remain in your homes, an unknown sickness is manifesting, stay calm, and so on. I change stations to find live news. I come across the right position on the dial just as a crackling voice talks about people acting irrational, even ravenous, clutching new phones as they fended off other owners, attacked those they saw who were not owners of new phones, even using the devices as makeshift bludgeons. I check the time again. My estimation had only been off by a matter of an hour. Still, it had worked out that the effects were being felt on one coast while on the other, people were still in line, or opening up deliveries from their phone companies, or otherwise laying hands on the new phones for the first time. I had been tempted, while in China, to limit myself merely to one manufacturer. While this day and its release would have the greatest immediate impact, I did not wish to have the outcome thwarted by a boycott or a mandate to not purchase that manufacturer's goods. I had stayed overseas longer than I would have liked, risking detection and incarceration, but hearing the results, I knew I had made the right decision. Even if they turned away from the newest devices, purchases of substitutes would yield similar, if not identical, results. Now came the question. Do I transmit my message now, or see if some other group claims responsibility? There were no shortage of religious fanatics who will feel envious they did not implement this solutions. But I have no delusions of invisible father figures whose approval I must attain for eternal bliss. My goals are more pure. I have revealed the nature of humanity, petty and cruel and self-serving, and brought it into glaring relief for all to see through the means of the 21st century's most prized possessions. If you are reading this, you know the answer to that final question. You now know what I did, how I did it, and why I did it. I do not imagine you will be thanking me, or grateful for the lesson. But for what it's worth: you, too, are witnessing the end of humanity.

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Blue Ink Alchemy

First Impressions: Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

First Impressions: Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor — Blue Ink Alchemy

At first glance, the concept for Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor seems like something you'd find on a fan-fiction site, aching for the sort of opportunity that was afforded to 50 Shades of Gray. An Illithen Ranger, one of the fabled Dunedain, falls victim to an untimely death but is resurrected thanks to the intervention of a Wraith that is, apparently, unconnected to the Ring-wraiths that plague Frodo and the Fellowship later in the canon of Middle-Earth. So now he's immortal, a skilled fighter, and has the grizzled, manly voice of Troy Baker. That certainly sounds like a self-insertion fantasy persona to me. Thankfully, there's more than enough going on in this game to merit more than that somewhat dubious first glance. First and foremost, Shadow of Mordor (as I will call it going forward because I'm not a fan of colon cancer) is steeped in atmosphere. While Mordor is not yet a barren, blasted wasteland, as this tale takes place before Lord of the Rings, the darks are deeper and the land definitely feels corrupted. While Howard Shore did not compose the music, the score is definitely in tune with the themes and timbre of those famous strains from the six films. Despite the stick I gave the developers for putting Troy Baker's voice behind our hero Talion, he sounds less like Booker DeWitt and more like someone who's been living rough in the outskirts of Gondor right before the events that propel him into the adventures through which players guide him. Seeing as this is a video game on major consoles, the primary means of that guidance will be through various forms of combat. Shadow of Mordor has looked on the success of both Assassin's Creed and Rocksteady's very successful Batman-based games (Arkham Asylum and Arkham City to be exact) and worked on a way to combine the two. The result is quite compelling: Talion moves from place to place to avoid detection, climbs to and leaps from ledges and tall places with grace, is limited in weapon choices, and uses prompts to avoid or block incoming blows which he redirects into deft ripostes. Movements are smooth, blows are powerful, and skills are satisfying - but the really interesting stuff doesn't happen until someone dies.
Things look pretty amazing, as well. Rather than simply be a quest to slay endless, nameless orcs in a quest for vengeance and XP, the game takes pains to give its antagonists names and personalities. This is more than window-dressing, however; it is essential to what makes Shadow of Mordor stand apart. Each orc Talion kills brings him closer to his true goal: the Warchiefs who control the mighty armies of Mordor. The array of nasties seen when you check your progress tells who where they rank and how much closer you are to victory. This also has intriguing implications when it comes to failure. Shadow of Mordor is not the first game to boast an immortal protagonist, at least in terms of being considered that way in-universe, and making failure mean something when you cannot die has often challenged designers. Rather than lose experience or suffer an otherwise arbitrary setback like paying a toll to the underworld, when Talion is defeated and requires rescuing from his wraithly friend, the orc lieutenants and captains he was fighting grow stronger in the intervening time. There is also a system in which orcs squabble with one another for control, and if Talion does not sweep in to kill everyone involved, the victor of the squabble will gain power in a similar fashion. It's one of the many things that contribute to giving the game a living, breathing world. On top of innovative design and satisfying combat, Shadow of Mordor has not skimped on the Middle-Earth lore. Dipping deep into the history and culture of Middle-Earth, the story of Talion is far more than one of mere wish fulfillment. While the Ranger has a rather immediate need for vengeance, his benefactor has an even more seething bone to pick with Sauron: he was Celebrimbor, the elf-smith in the Second Age who forged the Rings of Power to begin with. Through his experience and vision, Talion (and by extension, the player) learn the tales of the items scattered throughout the land, unearth ancient runes that add to the ongoing story of the events at hand, and give all the more reason for us to fight our way through the diabolical forces of Sauron the Deciever.
There are even some familiar faces around. So yes: my very first, up-front impressions of this game were entirely wrong. A lot of care has gone into the game from all sorts of perspectives. The combat, stealth, and open world draw from a plethora of contemporary, quite successful sources. The story has threads that tie it deeply into the rich lore of the beloved tales of Tolkien. It looks and sounds pretty amazing, taking full advantage of modern rendering and development techniques. And if that weren't enough, it both delivers satisfactory results for success and reasonable, compelling consequences for failure. In short: I must play it.

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Blue Ink Alchemy