It's been ages, hasn't it...
Well, as I said above. I think the last time I posted was about the GEF...
So, what have I been doing?
Work is good (I know - shocking isn't it). I received a promotion (secondment to a higher position technically) in May, which has kept me busier and far more interested at work than I had been before. It's pleasant to be in a position where my opinions on the direction we are taking in things actually matter, and I'm getting a lot out of it. Yesterday I had to interview 4 people to see which should be my Assistant. This was somewhat nerve-wracking, but after the first one I relaxed and apparently did very well. Strange feeling though, given that I was interviewed for the exact same position in November last year...
So what am I now? People keep asking what I do for a living, so here is a brief explanation. I am the Programme Coordinator for the Full-Time MBA Programme at Durham University Business School. This basically means that I am in charge of admin for that particular Programme and act largely as a cross between Student Support and Academic herder. It's nicely challenging, frustrating at times, but I generally leave feeling that things have gone well.
Sadly, the secondment is only until the end of January, but I (and the people seconded above me) are hoping that things are made permanent at that point rather than roll back. I'm not sure if I could go back to being the Assistant.
LRP has taken a brief holiday in the middle of the season which has felt a little strange, due to the movement of LT events. I didn't go to the second Maelstrom of the year due to being in Southsea (I appreciate that this didn't stop many other people, but myself and Emma couldn't face it). Looking forward to the coming events - especially the LT ones, though the second Moot is filling me with a little trepidation. I've monstered the Tarantulas current plot...
Have started doing weapons practice type sessions in order to both get some exercise and improve my ability to fight. The first time was something of a shock as to how bad I have truly gotten compared to my student days when I did TT twice a week, but the instincts are still there at least, so I should hopefully be able to pull it back.
Mostly looking forward to seeing people - as I said, it seems ages since LRP has happened.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the people that wanted to claim me for their Outcast groups, though I didn't go. The sentiment was much appreciated, but I don't have the time or money to take up a third system. I also tend to prefer established games/worlds rather than going in at the start. I've never actually tried the latter in LRP (never been to a first event), but I don't think I would enjoy something so... I'm not sure what the appropriate word is. I like to enter a living, breathing world and interact with it. I find it difficult to understand how a first event can have that feeling before the player-base has found its feet.
I will, with some other members of the Order of Celestial, be running our own event next year. Planning has stalled somewhat due to site difficulties, but everyone should leave January/February 2010 free to that they can come ;-)
Other games are going well. L5R is now entering its endgame phase. I've had this game going pretty much since the 3rd Edition came out (well, a few months later) so by the time it ends, it will have been my longest campaign ever (even beating Wheel of Time which currently holds that record at 3 years). People still seem to be enjoying it, though the characters are getting very powerful now (Insight Rank 6/7 for those who know the game), so they are getting difficult to challenge without getting quite contrived. I think I'm pulling it off so far.
Mutants and Masterminds is also going well. Hit a milestone in it last session, which has been long foreshadowed. I wasn't satisfied with it, but everyone else seemed to enjoy it - so I've inclined to think I'm being overly critical. Something quite interesting came up (well - I found it so) - but I'll talk about that later. This game will also enter into its endgame soon - though in this case that will be about a third of the campaign, rather than a fifth or so like in L5R.
Still playing in Blue Rose, which is being capably run by Rafe. Still fun - looking forward to Sunday. The system is far from perfect for my tastes, but it's going well in the hands of a very good storyteller.
Scion finished last weekend - and a triumph of a finale it was. The game was far from perfect (Scion itself is awful, though Mark was able to run a very good game with it) and the style of play we went with (one long session every month(ish)) didn't really suit the style of campaign - but it was a lot of fun, and I think the end surprised most people. Thanks Mark - very much enjoyed. Now we just need to work out what to replace it with...
Life in general continues to move along. We had our choir concert recently which went far better than it had any right to. Emma did a couple of solos of her own songs, which went down very well. Those who didn't hear them have missed out, as they probably won't be done again. At least not in concert ;-) Looking forward to the break over summer though - it's only 2 hours a week, but it always feels like it takes up much more energy than that should...
Southsea was great - I had a lot of fun, though must confess that I can't think of it as a holiday. I came back more tired than I left. It was all good fun though, and I look forward to going back next year (assuming Dan will have me). It was, of course, also nice to meet loads of new people and spend more time with some old friends than I often have the chance to. I know - I must try harder...
We have another holiday coming up - myself and Emma will be going to Copenhagen for a few days in August, which we are both looking forward to. We need the rest. Especially Emma.
Wish we could make the group holiday in September, but that during the Induction for my new students. So a definite no... Shame though, as it was a lot of fun last year.
Here is the interesting thing that came up in Mutants. I had originally intended for the characters to lose the day. Their losing was prophesied and the ongoing plot really did require it (bad of me - I know). The method I had planned to make them lose had been a gradual wearing down over the course of the session so that by the time the last challenge came up, they would be drained and easy to defeat. Sadly, I didn't have the time for this, so went at them with overwhelming odds for said last challenge. This left a sour taste in my mouth, until Emma told me that she actually preferred it this way.
She said that under my original plan, she would have wondered if there had been anything else they could have done to save a resource here and there throughout the session to make the last battle easier. As it was, she can just accept that there was nothing they could do.
This goes almost completely against the usual thoughts of player freedom and railroading (people will be aware that I generally try to avoid the latter), so I found it very interesting, and would be intrigued to hear other's opinions of it.
There is a new D&D based movie coming out, based on the Midnight setting. Usually, I would not consider such a movie something to get excited about - after all, D&D based movies tend to be awful. However, this one is actually being made by the original company that released the setting (Fantasy Flight Games), appears to have a reasonable budget and the trailer actually looks pretty good. Midnight is by far my favourite D&D setting (the only one I have ever purchased, and I own all of it), and I intend to run it after I finish Mutants and Masterminds, so I'm actually quite excited about it. I'll certainly be getting it when it is released on August 13th. Look up Midnight Chronicles if you are interested.
Anyway - that's all I can think of off the top of my head, and it's allowed me to waste about 45 minutes of time at work.
See ya.