Related post: The Weekly Game
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Game Rooms (Web Content)
In my quest to better inform my wife of the legendary "game room" archetype upon which I seek to build and in some cases improve, I submit the following collage and corresponding album link:
Game Spaces (web content)
Related post: The Weekly Game
Related post: The Weekly Game
Monday, June 14, 2010
FYI: GF Game Guild Session #1
The schedule is set for Saturday, June 26th at 6pm.
OK, so Lewis Black is performing at the Fargo Theatre that night, but that would cost you around $50 for one evening, not including gas and a meal. Instead, spend that money on something lasting, like a shiny new copy of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, and attend the first of many GF Game Guild sessions at the Baier household. Depending on who is attending this occasion and what game experience those people bring with them, we'll either jump right into something adventurous, or take some time to learn about the attendees and activities to come.
As some may have had it explained to them, I'll be running each game session based on who is able to attend. The following notes elaborate on the arrangement.
Role Playing Systems
RPGs are the target activity of the GFGG. The default system I intend to run is Pathfinder, with most of those games occurring in the Pathinder world of Golarion or in my own world of Lios. I have decided not to invest in D&D 4th edition, but there are a number of 3.5 resources compatible with Pathfinder I will allow with permission. I also anticipate running the d6-based Doctor Who: Adventure in Time and Space.
Role Playing Groups
Simultaneous adventures or campaigns may be ongoing, with some players overlapping as they are able and willing. While it makes planning for each session a more capricious affair, it does allow the flexibility I've found so needed given the difficulty of satisfying everyone's schedules. My gaming habits in recent years have grown far too infrequent due to unavailable players. That said, it is acceptable to have one or two missing players, occasionally, their characters running on autopilot.
Alternative Sessions
If there's an odd assortment of players that doesn't adequately constitute any one ongoing group, we will have other options. This might mean running a one-session module, either pre-generated or on the fly (randomized encounter tables can be fun!) It could also be a good time to engage in some board game hijinx. We do have a Wii, if we really want to stray. Also, there may be some special events that involve mixing game media. I've got a fun, interactive TV-board game called Atmosfear (both VHS and DVD versions), that would be even better played in character. At some point, guest GMs may appear, too!
OK, so Lewis Black is performing at the Fargo Theatre that night, but that would cost you around $50 for one evening, not including gas and a meal. Instead, spend that money on something lasting, like a shiny new copy of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook, and attend the first of many GF Game Guild sessions at the Baier household. Depending on who is attending this occasion and what game experience those people bring with them, we'll either jump right into something adventurous, or take some time to learn about the attendees and activities to come.
As some may have had it explained to them, I'll be running each game session based on who is able to attend. The following notes elaborate on the arrangement.
Role Playing Systems
RPGs are the target activity of the GFGG. The default system I intend to run is Pathfinder, with most of those games occurring in the Pathinder world of Golarion or in my own world of Lios. I have decided not to invest in D&D 4th edition, but there are a number of 3.5 resources compatible with Pathfinder I will allow with permission. I also anticipate running the d6-based Doctor Who: Adventure in Time and Space.
Role Playing Groups
Simultaneous adventures or campaigns may be ongoing, with some players overlapping as they are able and willing. While it makes planning for each session a more capricious affair, it does allow the flexibility I've found so needed given the difficulty of satisfying everyone's schedules. My gaming habits in recent years have grown far too infrequent due to unavailable players. That said, it is acceptable to have one or two missing players, occasionally, their characters running on autopilot.
Alternative Sessions
If there's an odd assortment of players that doesn't adequately constitute any one ongoing group, we will have other options. This might mean running a one-session module, either pre-generated or on the fly (randomized encounter tables can be fun!) It could also be a good time to engage in some board game hijinx. We do have a Wii, if we really want to stray. Also, there may be some special events that involve mixing game media. I've got a fun, interactive TV-board game called Atmosfear (both VHS and DVD versions), that would be even better played in character. At some point, guest GMs may appear, too!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
More Game Table Decisions
The problem is money; what else? We've got some to spare after our housing transactions, but the big project, costing around $2000, is the refinishing of the oak flooring upstairs (in progress). That would be DeeAnn's current home amenity dream come true. While my gamer heart's desire is only a fourth as expensive, it also serves a much more specific purpose and demographic. Everybody uses the floor. Everybody is welcome to use my would-be chairs, but the probable frequency is lower. In fairness, I think it all balances out. Increasing our project spending by a fourth may still not be so feasible.
An additional constraint on the decision is urgency. Shipping rates are rising dramatically. The furniture store manager said the costs haven't been passed on to customers yet, but they will be soon. This fact makes the value on those chairs all the greater and more immediate.
My alternatives include haunting thrift stores, garage sales, and online classified advertisement sites. None of these are at all reliable for attaining my desired quantity, quality, and style of chairs. They don't all have to match, but I feel chrome and checkered vinyl, for example, would detract from the ambiance I'm aiming for.
I've considered building my own, temporary seating. It's not out of the question, but the cost of raw materials may not run so far from buying new, prefabricated chairs. There's also the indefinite construction time compounded by a lack of expertise. Finally, I'd hate to be the proud owner of a hospital bill for one broken elbow due to some faulty carpentry on my part.
UPDATE: I evaluated our budget and ordered 8 Durangos. They'll be ready in about 2 weeks!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Come to the Table (Wait! Not yet!)
Well, I got a table.
I looked at the furniture stores and found a couple I liked. Even in the clearance rooms, I was going to be spending $700-$900 for a table and four chairs, for the kind of size I really wanted. I need to seat 6-8 players, right? Yesterday, after returning this disappointing clearance item to Kohl's, I spontaneously decided to visit the nearby Salvation Army thrift store. I knew used furniture might be the ticket. Indeed, it was.
There's no internet at home yet and I haven't brought along an image file of the table to upload from work (Hi, this is me at work!) for you to see. It will come. In the meantime, I've tried looking online for a representative image and almost none do it justice. It is a 54" (w/leaf) square beast! Apparently, the average counter table is built with tapered legs and appears too delicate to bear the weight of a treasure chest full of doubloons. Not so in my game room!
In surfing, I found the product to the right ($649.00 at ifurn.com; MSRP: $1622.50) most resembles the style and build of my table, only mine has much darker finish. And, my thrift store model with slightly weathered surface came to a measly $125.
Unless everyone wants to stand, I will need to find counter height chairs, now. Consider Part II of The Search for Gaming Space: The Game Table to commence.
I looked at the furniture stores and found a couple I liked. Even in the clearance rooms, I was going to be spending $700-$900 for a table and four chairs, for the kind of size I really wanted. I need to seat 6-8 players, right? Yesterday, after returning this disappointing clearance item to Kohl's, I spontaneously decided to visit the nearby Salvation Army thrift store. I knew used furniture might be the ticket. Indeed, it was.
There's no internet at home yet and I haven't brought along an image file of the table to upload from work (Hi, this is me at work!) for you to see. It will come. In the meantime, I've tried looking online for a representative image and almost none do it justice. It is a 54" (w/leaf) square beast! Apparently, the average counter table is built with tapered legs and appears too delicate to bear the weight of a treasure chest full of doubloons. Not so in my game room!
Unless everyone wants to stand, I will need to find counter height chairs, now. Consider Part II of The Search for Gaming Space: The Game Table to commence.
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