What's in my nexus

Tonight, with some nerd people at school, I watched Star Trek Generations.  It's not the best Star Trek movie, but it's got it's moments.  One big plot point made me wonder.

Spoilers for a movie that came out in 1993.

The goal of the evil scientist Sauron is to get this nexus ribbon of infinite happiness to him efficiently, regardless of who has to die in the process.  He's even willing to destroy solar systems to this end.  At one part of the movie he does succeed and Picard, who has been dreaming of carrying the family line recently, gets pulled into the Nexus as well.  Here's part of that sequence if you would like to take a gander.  

Picard not only gets the family he wants, but gets to see the nephew that just died in the beginning of the movie (Renee) alive and well.  In this nexus, you are in a heaven that goes forwards and backwards in time.  You can go and do (or even redo) everything you've ever done or wish to do.  You can also exit the nexus into whatever time period you want.  Picard does the honorable thing and goes back with help to save the Enterprise and a solar system, instead of staying with the family of his dreams.

This turns into a great question: What is in your nexus?  What would you be reliving or doing in your personal time-traveling heaven?

Me personally?  I think I would have it so my maternal grandfather was alive and well, and that I was able to talk to him, and hear him share his stories.  I never got to know him but I know he's a big reason why I am the way I am today, and due to his lack in health late in his life I never got to know him.  I would go back and have all the time I know I'm missing out of from someone who would've been a wonderful grandfather.  I might even go to before I was born to see some of the great things he did around the civil rights movement in chicago, and then go forward again in time to ask him questions about it specifically.

What about you all?  Apparently a good number of you read this, so what would be your nexus?  Email me (d20sapphire@gmail.com) what your nexus would be and I will post the answers up on the next blog, anonymously if you want me to.  Keep in mind it's not just what your heaven would be, but what your heaven would be if you would jump forward or back in time.

I'm excited to see what people respond with!  

Why I Now Want Prototype

I've been keeping up with Prototype passingly. I've read a lot about it and I've watched some game play videos that look extremely promising. However, it wasn't until this trailer that I decided to buy it when it comes out.





This story looks amazing. For those of you who don't know, the main character finds out about the story by killing people who are involved with maintaining a viral outbreak in New York City. Because of his supernatural abilities, he's able to absorb their memories and their skills when he kills them. This is how the player finds out the background to everything. This conspiracy story on top of the outbreak story is very captivating, and anytime there is a mystery I want to know why things happened the way they did.

This is why I play video games: they are interactive storytelling. You could also say that's why I play RPGs as well. Even in video games where your fate is essentially sealed, you still have fun experiencing the journey and knowing you invested in it.

I wonder if Prototype will still want to release in June given the current swine flu situation, that may become a pandemic. I try not to think about that because at this point the only thing I can do is wash my hands and hope nobody in my campus is unfortunate enough to catch it.

Either way, I want to play Prototype as soon as it comes out.

Dinosaurs died off by lizard flu instead?

This article on the Times website is somewhat interesting. Basic gist: The asteroid may not have killed the dinosaurs.

I'm still sticking to the asteroid theory until there's a better explanation of why things are different at the impact site then they are at every other part of the world. But you got to love science's prevailing need to know the absolute truth!

D&D stories

Friday, which is game day for D&D, was ridiculously gorgeous on my campus. I was kind of sad I was stuck indoors planning a significantly epic battle for my PCs, but a Dungeon Master has to make that sacrifice. I went to the office where I work at school and sat in the back, helping out a little while figuring out stats and rolling dice.

On my way over to the dorm where I play every friday, I passed this couple with two young kids, one of which was a four year old boy. Gave them a smile and the little boy goes to his dad "what does she have in her hand?" I heard and turned around and the dad goes "I don't know, why don't you ask her?" I try to be receptive to questions, especially from little kids who haven't learned to restrain them yet.

I go over and unroll my battle map, the thing the boy saw in my hand. "It's a map sheet. I use it to make maps when I want."

He goes, "Well sometimes my daddy plays Dungeons and Dragons."

"That's exactly what I was going to do."

Chatted a little with the dad who wished me a good game. It was just so adorable to see a kid that young say "Dungeons and Dragons" so clearly. Young nerds in the making. I think the kids mom was also surprised to see a woman who is into the whole thing. Hey, us nerd women are out too, and I hope also to have little children someday that will watch as I roll my dice and have epic fictional adventures with friends.

Friday was a great game day. The whole three years of me planning this game had been building up to this: Battling a woman who wanted to be the reincarnation of Vecna, using both the Hand and the Eye of Vecna in the ritual. The stakes were high, and I really didn't put this battle in their favor. My players are pretty smart, so usually things don't go the way I imagined them too. I like it though, it keeps me on my toes.

Only one player actually died. Another one got to -9 hitpoints, so it was tense, but one actually died. The player proceeded to not care about the rest of the story at all. I was kind of disappointed, because this was all stuff that he had been investigating since the beginning of the campaign (being one of the two original players left in my campaign), and he was just apathetic and played on his computer. I shouldn't let computers at the game table anyway, because they can be super distracting. Everyone else there was pretty engaged, even when there were moments where their characters were not involved, and they were overhearing me do something else with another character. So I'm pretty sure it means I'm not a good DM. It just bums me out if someone doesn't seem as interested as I am about something I made for their enjoyment.

Although the big fight (or at least, the first big fight) is over, the politics aren't over yet! The Queen of the kingdom my PCs work for may have to be executed because of the whole debacle. Oh no! I'm really excited for next session. I think it will be the best mix of fighting and role-playing.

Hardcore Nerd Suffering

I'm sorry, but this is hilarious.

World's Largest Cheeto and the Optimus Maximus from Gizmodo on Vimeo.

You have to give him credit, he finished that cheeto. Or whatever the hell that was.

An open letter to Apple

Dear Apple, specifically those at apple that regulate iPhone applications,

You would think that one would see the problem with allowing an application through your device where the player's sole goal is to shake a baby.  Especially if you don't want to be associated with violence towards children.  However, you let that slide.  What were you thinking?  Enjoy the public relations storm this will result in.  

Love, d20 Sapphire

p.s. Still glad I didn't feed into the hype and got your phone.

*****

There is some talk on Game Politics about censorship here.  Some people claim that this game shouldn't be censored at all.  But Apple is a private organization, hence they can choose what applications are sold on their sites.  Don't shame Apple for pulling the game (albeit, twice since it got put back on again) since it's not squandering anyone's freedoms.  

Another question going around is if there's something wrong with a game like this, or is it all just in fun?  Well it depends on how you feel about video games.  If you feel games should be treated amorally, and are purely there for enjoyment, then there's nothing wrong with this game existing.  However, if video games are to be amoral, and hence not start a conversation within you about your morals, it makes it harder to argue that video games should be perceived as art.  Art, or should I say the majority of art, is supposed to interact with your senses and your beliefs.  A lot of art is disturbing as well as pleasing, both for their own reasons.  For those of you who don't believe me, read the play Marat/Sade.  It's a beautifully disturbing play with a message about revolution.  It's art meant to make you think, despite some of the horrid subject matter.

Hence, to no longer judge video games morally is to lose the idea of video games as art.

They jiggle!

I'm not a stickler for graphics in video games, and this video shows partly why.

Note: They took down the video on gametrailers.com, and I can't find the footage anywhere else.  As soon as I find it again, there will be another video/link.

I have no problem with Batman kicking ass in the upcoming Arkham Asylum game, I have every problem with the way the baddies jiggle as soon as they fall.  The realistic graphics look great until the insane inmates wiggle like jello on a china plate.  The illusion is gone!  Sometimes I wish there was no attempt at making games as realistic as possible, because it's almost impossible to given what we have.  I can be immersed in a game without the action happening on my tv look like the real world.  And despite how hard developers try, it never looks quite real anyway.

However, I do like their modernization of Harley Quinn.  And the game looks like it has potential to be pretty sweet.  Just those friggin' rag doll mechanics look awful to me.  

Sims 2 and RPGs

As an avid RPG fan (who will be more avid once she has time to enjoy them on the weekends) I love seeing the characters I create in certain systems come to life.  A lot of the time that means playing the character in game.  This is always fun.  However, I use one of my other loves, the Sims 2, to bring them to life.

Earlier this year I uninstalled all my sims 2 stuff in hopes of fixing a problem that merely needed a patch from the Aspyr website.  Major fail on my part.  So I decided instead of trying to redo the same town all over again (it was glorious let me tell you, I miss those sims) to make a new town with characters I have created, a lot of them from RPGs, though some from stories and plays I have written.  I have only added a few as of now, but here are the RPG based ones.

The Vidrigez Family

The Vidrigez family is based on the two bad guys that are the center of the plot in my D&D campaign right now.  The characters names in the D&D game are Aust and Jezalin, but in the Sims 2 I made them Austin and Jessica.  In both D&D and in the Sims, these two are madly in love with each other, and madly in love with power.  In the sims I made them fortune sims, so the ambition to get to the top is there.  I haven't supplemented their income with cheats so they're going to have to bust ass.  They both look weird but are attractive in a strange way, so I'm hoping to get some pictures of their kids as soon as they get pregnant.  Also, Jessica, unlike her D&D counterpart, does not possess the hand and eye of Vecna.

Little factoid: sims don't have kids unless you tell them to try, and then there is an 80% chance they will get pregnant.  Failing that three times in a row in practically impossible, but Jessica and Austin did.  I'm afraid I have a sim that's shooting blanks!

The Cornwell Family

The Cornwell's are based on the royal family of the second biggest kingdom in my D&D campaign.  The PCs are essentially employed by them, and are rewarded handsomely for dealing with tons of Yuan-ti and Undead that wouldn't like anything more than to see this family wiped out.  The family in the game is very different than what you see here.  Here you see the King Franklin (Frank in the Sims), his Queen Katherine, their first and only son Ewan, their daughter Elish, and their youngest twin daughters Fiona and Faoiltiarna.  Believe it or not, Faoiltiarna is a real, Irish name.  

The D&D NPC counterparts aren't quite as happy of a family right now.  All the kids are adults, well except for Ewan who died because of his horrible drug habits and such.  The King died due to a horrible cancer that the healers didn't catch until too late.  Elish is now the first reigning Queen, and is dealing with a bloody war (against Vidrigez) along with sexism amongst the nobility in her own Kingdom.  Fiona and Faoiltiarna are more background characters, though Faoiltiarna did get kidnapped once, but was then saved by my PCs.  And one PC is hoping to marry Queen Elish after defeating King Aust.  

Since Katherine is a family sim, I'm sure there will be more siblings coming along.  I just don't know how many more Irish names I can find!

The Scott Family

This family is actually based on one character I played in an Unknown Armies game. Nairobi Scott was actually channelling the Avatar of the Mother (for those of you who don't know, read the Unknown Armies book, it's a fantastic setting.)  She was a foster mother doing it all on her own and loved kids.  She didn't think she could have kids anymore so she decided to be a foster parent, and also worked with kids in a high class day care facility.  She LOVED taking care of kids.  She wanted to make sure every one of them had a good home.  In game she stayed single, all while figuring out about the occult underground while trying to achieve a sense of normalcy in her house.  That didn't work out so well.  In this game she's dating and looking for a man.  That is hard.  Especially since as soon as she's married she's going to want a LOT of kids.  

I may post more about the happenings of these families over time, but this isn't going to become a sims legacy blog or anything like that.  Especially when I get back home and I start to play more on The Boyfriend's 360.  I may not be good at FPSs, but damn are they fun.

It's over, HW.

This isn't geek related, so sue me. Also, there is adult language FYI.

Hey, Homework? We need to talk. No really, we do.

Let's admit it, this relationship can't last. Our futures are not overlapping anytime soon. You have plenty of other students to pester. And don't think I don't see you eyeing them. You have been for a while now.

Our connection has strained a lot recently, hasn't it? I know my senior project was hard to deal with. I have to admit that when I came back I realized I didn't need you anymore. It's painful to say.

I know it's going to take you some time to get your stuff together and get out. I'm still here as a friend, don't worry. For now, just at least sleep on the couch until you can move out in... May? Well I guess we can live together until then. If you want to see other students, that's fine. Me? Oh I've got this new guy I've been eyeing, I won't lie to you. His name is Resume. I didn't want to do anything with him until we talked.

... okay sorry we did do something. We applied to a job together. I KNOW I'M SORRY! Look it's not a big deal. It's not even close to the time when you went out to dinner with my friend and turned into a thesis. I think that's a bigger deal if we're going to keep a relationship scorecard now. I forgave you for that! Why can't you do the same for me?

No wonder this isn't working! You won't even be considerate about anything! I've had to change my schedule around for you so many times! Resume never asked that from me! He isn't SELFISH like you are! Yes, you are selfish, a selfish bastard full of paper cuts and nights wasted in the library looking up stupid shit like postmodernism and bangladeshi micro-loans! I NEVER SAID I LIKED BANGLADESHI MICRO-LOANS! YOU FUCKING LIAR!

Well if you're going to be like this, you can GET THE FUCK OUT HOMEWORK!

No I'm not letting you back in. Nuh-uh. Don't woo me with your grade talk, it's not working this time. What good times? Well, the pool research was fun sometimes... but it sucked most the time. Yeah, I did like that french music, and that one report on... stop it. I see what you're doing. Fucking manipulator.

Hope you like sleeping on the couch, you asshole. *doorslam*

*dooropen* Oh yeah, and that monetary trade policy problem set we just did? I FAKED THE LAST ANSWER! *doorslam*

Happy Easter!

Or, Happy Christian Holiday with Pagan Influences...

oh wait, that's every major Christian holiday.  

I hope the Easter Bunny that visited you wasn't this vicious:

If he was that vicious, I hope that you had the Holy Hand Grenade.  When I played Worms World Party all the time that was my team's favorite weapon.  I never mastered throwing it without hurting my worms as well as my opponents.  

And for those of you who are more just sheep fans, this is something that has been making the rounds recently at my campus:

This is why I love nerds.  When a regular person is bored in the middle of farmland, they get drunk and merely tip cows.  When a nerd gets bored in the middle of a farmland, they hook up lights to sheep and play pong.  

Today breakfast was a cadbury creme egg.  Delicious.  However, I'm afraid today is also a serious homework day for me, so no egg hunts or peep snacking all day into a sugar coma.  Speaking of peeps, some ridiculous people made this video that you might enjoy:

I personally would like a rematch.  Raiden Peep was using cheat codes!

Have a Happy Easter everyone, and don't forget to thank the Easter Bunny after he visits you.

Some tidbits here and there.

First, let's pay respects to Dave Arneson.  *moment of silence*

...

*sound of rolling dice*

What?  Don't you think he would've wanted it this way?

Anyway,  my favorite tribute to this great D&D contributor is by the guys over at Order of the Stick.  Great web comic, especially if you like D&D stories that constantly break the fourth wall.  

Second, this great Bioshock II gameplay video is out for all my fellow Bioshock fans.  I loved the story of the first game, and although I won't go as far to say the game is perfect, it is a solid game for the 360 that kept you thinking the entire time.  It, along with games like Mass Effect and Zelda: Twilight Princess, are the reason why sometimes I delve into an adventure game if I want some good literature.  

Third, my game at school is ending fast, and I'm realizing I'm too nice of a DM.  Any tips on how to fix this?

Fourth, in an example on how not to market a game, EA sent a promo package to notable game reviewers and news places that was pretty sweet.  Except for the very illegal brass knuckles.  That's right, brass knuckles.  As a person who likes a good public relations stunt, I have to admit this is too far.  Sure, Godfather II is gritty and violent, which makes it fun.  The thing that keeps it fun is that it's fictional, and no one is attempting to beat someone in the head in real life to be like a Don in the movies or the games.  Brass knuckles in a box definitely make it real.

EA was smart enough to offer to take them back, making sure no one got in trouble with the law for this promo package.  I guess this begs the question: who's making these brass knuckles in the first place?

Find the Zoe to your Wash at Soulgeek

It's surprising that I'm doing two posts on one day, but I found this article about where I found The Boyfriend so I figured I would do a bit of a plug, which includes some story time.  If you don't want story you can fast forward to the last paragraph.

*Cue Crazy Fade into Past Transition*

Flashback to May of 2008.  Out of nowhere my now ex broke up with me (right after I got off work too, which kind of sucks when you're broken up to right outside your office and have to explain it to your boss later.)  I was devastated.  Worst week in a long time.  To top it off I had a final the next day and then a final the day after that, both in the morning.  I had no real time to recover.  After two days of wallowing in grief while studying, I thought about it.  I knew what I wanted in a man, key word being man and not "college guy who's finding himself",  I knew I wanted him to have similar interests since explaining RPGs to someone is difficult, and I knew that I wanted to go back home to Chicago in a year.  

And then I remembered Soulgeek.

There had been some ads for it on Something Positive, a webcomic that I adore, so I figured I would give it a try.  I found the site, signed up, and started looking for guys in the Chicagoland area.  Did a search for a while, and then slowly started messaging people.  I had the 10 bucks to pay each month so I did.  And then there was this one profile...

I won't go into what the Boyfriend's profile said, but looking back at it now I have no idea why I messaged him.  And I'm sure he says the same thing about my profile.  I just figured that I might as well send a message and started a conversation about the new D&D edition that came out. And then we played message tag for a while.  I think in an hour's time we sent each other about 5 messages.  And then it moved to AIM.

On AIM I think we had 5-7 hour conversations into the night almost every night for a week.  I found myself staying up until 5am talking to him about a multitude of topics.  We set up a date.  The date mostly consisted of us sitting in parks and talking about everything.  And his arms fit around me pretty well with some pretty awesome hugs.  Next date went even better... the rest is history.

*Cue Less Crazy Transition Back to the Present*

Why choose Soulgeek (that is, if you're looking)?  You'll find someone with similar interests if you're as nerdy as I think you are.  You choose them yourself instead of hoping some wonky computations hitch you with someone.  You don't have to pay to be a member, and to get the special features is only 10 bucks a month when many other dating sites are more expensive.  The site has only been around for a year and a half and already has some great success stories.  It's one of the more genuine sites I've seen too.  And you don't have to be a supermodel to find someone.  It's just a great idea if you're single, geeky, and not internet shy.  And who the hell is internet shy anymore?

Mac vs. PC: A Compromise

This is something I've wanted to write for a while.  Partly because I feel I lose some nerd points because I'm personally a Mac user.  It limits you in the culture to an extent.  You're less likely to be into computer software and hardware, less likely into programming, and less likely to be into computer gaming if you are a Mac User.  That's a lot of points to lose, especially as a gamer.  But I am still confident about my choice to stick to Mac, and not because it's all together better. (Note how I said in my title "a compromise", not "an ultimatum") 

I first got into Macs right before college.  My school, for practical purposes, is a Mac school.  The computer store here is a Mac store, which means if something breaks down on my Mac I can just hop across campus and get it fixed relatively quickly.  Seemed economical, despite the higher price tag.  I personally prefer walking or driving to a store, knowing what is going to happen to my computer before I sign it off to the company, and then pick it up a week later, rather than having to ship it off to the middle of nowhere and hope that not only the company but the postal service will do their job.  I picked up a powerbook (I now have a macbook instead because I messed up the screen of the first laptop) and proceeded to love the operating system as well as the machine.

I think I officially switched my loyalty when I came back home for winter break and I tried to play the Sims 2 on my computer and home, and it was glitchy.  My brother had proceeded over the course of 4 and a half months, install 6 viruses, a couple worms and tons of spyware while I had been at college.  Even uninstalling and reinstalling didn't make anything better.  In fact, I couldn't reinstall at all, everything had messed up.  You could imagine my frustration.

Frustrated just like that.

On top of the ease that most viruses have with the Windows OS, it was really difficult for me to just try and fix everything with my ignorance.  My mother was nice enough to help me get Sims 2 for the Mac (Aspyr is good at keeping the series somewhat current for OS X) and I never dealt with a home PC unless I had to from then on.  

Does this mean the PC was horrible and how could anyone deal with it?  Not at all.  If The Boyfriend had the same problem I did, the thing would've been solved within a 24 hour period.  Why?  Because he knows the innards of computer better than I do.  But I don't.  Nor do I want to take the time to learn something that I'm honestly not that interested in.  I don't want to invest the time to know what's going on in the background of my computer as I work on word documents and play silly casual games online.  I just want to be able to do those things without hassle.  And that is why a Mac is good for me.

Macs are meant for people who don't care about their computers that much.  The computer is merely a tool to use for web browsing, music collecting, communicating... etc.  When it breaks, you take it to a specialist who tells you what he or she is going to do and then just does it.  You don't worry about upgrades, you don't worry about  replacing parts, you just take the computer as it is and use it.  I am this kind of person.  I am not ignorant about computers, but my care about a video card or the RAM is limited to "Will this work?  No?  Then give it to someone who can fix it!"

PCs are a step up.  If you do care about your computer, maintaining it and updating it, personalizing it, you get a PC.  Partly because there's a lot more variety.  Partly because the OS is easier to manipulate.  Completely because you can change a PC to be specifically yours.  Need it to be the fastest stock reader and meeting center for video conferences?  Easy to do.  Mega gaming machine?  Even easier.  Just to use WordPerfect and solitaire?  Well, don't know why you want to use WordPerfect but sure, super easy to set up.  You just have to do the research to set it up correctly.  If you are willing to put in the time, get a PC.

"But d20 Sapphire, how can you cal yourself a gamer?"  Well the only computer games I play are the sims, so that's not a big deal.  For me it's not about how fast it will process, just the funny stories and the genetics.  The rest of the games I like to play are on consoles, so I don't need a computer to play them.  Well, except for Starcraft but that game is so old it can run on practically everything.  I don't need a gaming PC, so I'm sticking to my Mac.  

Let's not say one is better than the other overall.  Mac's are favored in their simplicity, PCs for their versatility.  Let's say that to each his own when it comes to this debate.

Happy First Contact Day!

Although I am wishing it a bit belatedly.  

For those of you who don't know, in the Star Trek universe today, April 5th, in the year 2063, Zefram Cochrane will make the the first warp flight in space by humans which will help initiate the first contact with aliens.  So in 54 years we'll meet Vulcans if all goes according to plan.  Of course, this will be after a devastating World War Three... maybe we don't want to follow that timeline.

My senior project that involved a pool (and hence no time to myself whatsoever) is over, so I should be able to post more often these days.  There's a lot to look forward to in my life, including the next Star Trek movie on May 8th.  I'm less cautious about it than before.  I'm giving it a good chance.  Let's hope it all goes well.  Hooray Trek!

Did you appreciate the gag?: Why I'm sticking to 3.5--A long analogy

Hope you all liked the April Fool's joke.  I'm sticking to 3.5 D&D thankyouverymuch.

I'm not saying that all the people who like D&D 4.0 have something wrong with them.  The Boyfriend seems to not sympathize with why I'm opposed to playing it.  But I figured I would share with you all an analogy that I told him last night that I feel explains my complaints completely.

Let's say there's a restaurant, a fairly good one too, called Chez Dragon.  I like Chez Dragon, and I go there a lot.  I especially love their fillet mignon.  I pay good money for it, but it's cooked to what I consider to be perfection.  Wrapped in bacon, served on a piece of lettuce looking very fancy.  I love that fillet mignon.  It gets to the point where that is the only thing I order, and I frequent there a lot.  Like once a week.  The waitstaff knows me, the managers know me, and every time I come in (sometimes bringing friends) the waiter just looks at me and goes "Fillet mignon right?" and I confirm with an excited "Yes!"  

Something happens and I'm not about to go to the restaurant for a month.  Long vacation from home or something.  During that month the management decides to make some changes, hoping to bring in more customers.  The old waitstaff is replaced by a new team, and they even get new cooks as well.  Chez Dragon looks the same on the outside, at least it has the same name, but things have changed.

While on vacation I hear about the change but I come back anyway, and take a look at the new menu.  Aha!  They still have fillet mignon on the menu.  I might as well try it.  I go and sit down, tell the new waiter I want the fillet mignon and wait.  

When the waiter comes out, I pick up my utensils in anticipation and  lick my lips.  The plate lands in front of me and I put my fork in...

a ground beef patty, wrapped in bacon, served on a piece of lettuce.

Obviously this is a mistake.  I call the waiter over.  I tell him that I have the wrong dish, this is a beef patty, I want a fillet mignon.

"But Ms. d20 Sapphire, that is the fillet mignon."

Excuse me?

I go back and forth with him.  This is ground beef.  This doesn't look like a steak at all.  I want a pieces of meat that is still together.  This isn't even worth the price I'm paying for it.  I could get a plain beef patty from McDonald's across the street for a twentieth of the price I'm paying at Chez Dragon.  I want my fillet mignon.  This is not fillet mignon.  The waiter continues to disagree with me vehemently, stating that this is the fillet and that other customers have not complained, so how could something be wrong with it.  I finally say that there is no way this is the right cut at all, it's just little pieces of cow in a patty shape, not a chunky of meaty, tender steak cooked to perfection that I love.

"But Ms. d20 Sapphire, it's from a cow.  It's the same kind of meat from the same kind of animal.  I don't see why you have an issue with you fillet."

This is where I get up, walk away from Chez Dragon without paying, and never return ever again.

That whole story is how I feel about D&D 4.0

I have seen the light

For the longest time I have been bashing the 4.0 system. It has been the bane of my existence for a while. And many people have agreed with me in my assessment.

But maybe I've been unfair. Looking over the book again (which I bought on a whim today, realizing the genius behind the system) I realized that I can not fault a system that has decided to become more economical in its battle system and more efficient in skills. It makes gameplay faster, meaning I can beat up monster after monster faster, and I will be able to level up to the most pumped up badass Warlock ever.

And to be honest, there is something a lot more efficient in these multiple versions of the Player's Handbook. Not like I was going to spend my money on anything Wizard's didn't make, right? I might as well spend it all on tons of books full of characters that are all streamlined to make the toughest ass-kickers around.

All my complaints about setting are completely unfounded. It doesn't matter really right? If I'm fighting a beholder in a lava pit it's no different than fighting it in the forest or underground in a lair right? That's all setting's good for, so why am I worried about it?

Lastly, how can you not trust an RPG that has such a pretty cover design? It's like they took Mac's style and made it for D&D. That obviously means it's top quality.

Tomorrow I'm telling my PCs that we're switching to 4.0, I'll find a way. Mark today as the day when I have seen the light. 4.0 is the FUTURE! Those who say otherwise are obviously too stuck in the past.