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You are here: Home / Archives for Newest Critical Hits

Review: “Mega Man 10”

May 19, 2010 by Vanir

Though generally well-received, many considered Mega Man 9 to be too difficult and frustrating. A year and a lot of customer feedback later, the next installment in the series aims to bring the 8-bit happiness to a wider audience. Did they succeed without watering down the game too much?

Filed Under: Featured, Reviews, Video Games Tagged With: 8-bit, elec man, guts man, mega man, mega man 1, mega man 10, mega man 9, megaman, megaman 10, Reviews, rockman, sheep man

You’re Not Just Good, You’re Golden

May 18, 2010 by Vanir

For the life of me, I never have fully understood the human compulsion to fill out forms containing their personal data on a computer. If I walked up to a random person on the street with a form asking for their personal data, they’d probably think I was up to something unsavory (like signing them up for a credit card), and tell me to shove off. You put the same person on Facebook, and it wouldn’t surprise me if at least a good portion of their extended profile information is filled in. What benefit does this give anyone but Facebook and their demographic-engine? You know, aside from thoughtfully tailored ads for the user’s pleasure.

Filed Under: Dire Flailings, Humor Tagged With: 1995, bbs, connect 14400, fidonet, frontdoor, maximus, modem, renegade

The Downside of Awesome

May 17, 2010 by The Chatty DM

I’ve recently discovered a pattern common to the gaming sessions where I’m not entirely satisfied with the way things went. I realized that it’s partly because encounters reach a state of complexity such that players become confused about the best way to navigate through them. The goal becomes fuzzy or the options are either too numerous or too complex mechanically to be used in full.

Filed Under: Adventure Prep, Musings of the Chatty DM, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: advice, Player Psychology, rule of cool

Mailbag 5 – All By Myself, Part 2

May 17, 2010 by Chris Sims

It ain’t easy DMing, and solo monsters heap some responsibility on your shoulders. You might think that one monster on the field is an easier management task. Sometimes you’re right. But good management starts well before and proceeds throughout an engagement.

Filed Under: Analysis Paralysis, Editorial, Featured, Newest Critical Hits, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 4e, berbalang, black dragon, customizing monsters, D&D, DM advice, solo monsters

Critical Bits for the week ending 2010-05-16

May 16, 2010 by Gato the News Robot

RT @NeoGrognard: Jeff Sorensen shares his amazing projector-driven game table. Awesome stuff! http://bit.ly/b07XsI # RT @AllenVarney: RT @RickKlaw Sad news from Russ Cochran: Frank Frazetta passed away today. Truly an end of an era. (via Batton Lash) # RT @ChrisSSims: What the heck is going on at WotC? Two layoffs in RPG R&D today, at […]

Filed Under: Critical Bits Tagged With: twitter

Contest: Twitterquest!

May 14, 2010 by Bartoneus

Here’s how to enter Twitterquest: Submit your best adventure pitch to us in 127 characters or fewer via Twitter, Facebook, or a comment here on this post. Please only one entry per person per venue/site, so you yourself can submit three unique ideas – one on Facebook, one on Twitter, and one in a comment here.

Filed Under: Featured, Roleplaying Games

Gears of Ruin: Sabotage! Part 2

May 13, 2010 by The Chatty DM

Amazingly, the Gnome Airship was still intact when the PCs own ship set in formation near it (along the Melorian’s living airship, and the Warforged chaos-propelled aerolith). Viscount Daven Sakran was joyously awaiting for them, all smiles and virginal innocence under the malvolent look of our semi-railroaded Goliath Warden.

Filed Under: Campaign Logs, Musings of the Chatty DM, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 4e, Clockwork D&D, Gears of Ruin, Tropes

The Keys to Con Games

May 13, 2010 by Dave

I’m picky. Nay, I’m downright spoiled about my convention time. I’ve been going to conventions since before I was born and going to gaming rooms since I knew enough to not eat the dice (you roll them first, then eat them.) I’ve seen it all, and I’m much more militant about not spending precious time and money at a convention on a game I’m not going to enjoy. So how do I try to mitigate this and only play in the awesome? I narrow my convention game search to the following categories.

Filed Under: Board, Card, and Miniature Games, Editorial, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: conventions, gencon, origins

Review: “The Hidden Current” 4e Adventure Module

May 12, 2010 by Bartoneus

The Hidden Current is the first chapter of the Dark Veil Campaign arc for 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons that promises to take players from level 1 to level 30 published by Blackbyrne Publishing. Though the adventure module is a bit amateur in presentation and some of its elements, it more than makes up for that with its original ideas, good writing, and an exciting series of adventures for your players to enjoy!

Filed Under: Featured, Reviews, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 4e, 4th Edition, blackbyrne publishing, D&D, dark veil campaign, Dungeons and Dragons, module, Reviews, the hidden current

Gears of Ruin: Sabotage! Part 1

May 11, 2010 by The Chatty DM

Brought together to oversee the security of crucial peace talks, the PCs are faced with sabotage at 20 000 feet over the jagged surface of a world torn by 8 years of global conflicts. One of the diplomat factions turns on the other while demon-summoning clockwork bombs explode on the Gnomish airship housing the peace negotiations. Our heroes have to keep the negotiators alive.

Filed Under: Campaign Logs, Musings of the Chatty DM, Roleplaying Games Tagged With: 4e, Clockwork D&D, Gears of Ruin

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  • Vanir

    Vanir is the sort of man who has openly wondered aloud about his own armor class in front of his own grandmother. Despite this, he has still managed to somehow become both married and a father. By day, he develops web applications. By night, web applications develop him.

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