Helvete Studios Banners
Creating some animated banners for my design studio, Helvete. Here’s the first, experimental one.
Whadaya think?
Re-Design
So I’m rolling out a new design for my blog since I’ve decided to blog more often. Excuse the mess, check back soon!
I’m now in Greece, working shitty jobs and not doing much of anything. My ”d” button on my brand new laptop isn’t working, forcing me to copy-paste d every time I want to use it. I like words with no ds lately.
In other news, I’m thinking out my pen and paper rpg, ”Fallen”. Things are falling into place but I still haven’t playtested it at all. 20-somethings are the most busy crowd it seems, especially those that don’t do much of anything.
I was thinking lately, about good luck charms and charms in general. I never had much faith in such and a charm supposed to give you good lack is a rather bland concept. After all, such charms can’t be bought at some store for cash money right? Kinda takes the magic out of it.
Lately though I realized I have a good luck charm of my own, namely a ring on a chain my girlfriend gave me. I always have it with me nowadays, always thinking the day I forget it something bad is going to happen(I’m a pessimist like that). I believe in self-fulfilling prophecies, or a the very least, I’m interested in the idea that our minds and will can sometimes put events in motion in order for a subconscious thought or fear to manifest in reality. But back to ”magic” items, I think I came upon this idea(that perfectly normal items can become something more, at least pertaining to a specific person) in a Aleister Crowley book, probably ”Magick without tears” where he called a book a kind of magic device, transferring ideas and thoughts from one mind to another. I thought it was an interesting way of seeing things.
And those are my jumbled thoughts on the subject of magical items. Cheers!
Fallen: Power 19 Q&A
Fallen is now officially cancelled. My new game is called ”Van Dread”.
As promised, here’s my power 19 for my new game, ”Fallen” which uses some material and ideas from my previous idea, ”Obscure”. The game is about fallen angels that left heaven for some reason(there can be multiple reasons, the one discussed in the setting is that although Demons are roaming the world, God does nothing about it. Free will and all that. Some angels decide to fall in order to be able to help humanity, even as mere mortals). The main themes of the game are justice, punishment and revenge, at least as far as the storylines go. The angels need a host. When they enter a body, the two personalities merge and become a completely new one, with the angel personality being dominant(there is no duality in the character though. It’s a new, completely unique personality). What remains of the mortal is the main characteristics of their personality(such as attachment to loved ones, especially dominant traits, etc).
1.)What is your game about?
‘’Fallen’’ is about voluntarily fallen angels kicking demon criminal ass in a modern setting. It’s about imperfect powerful beings trying to redeem themselves or simply try and help humanity. It’s also about exploring the themes of revenge, justice and punishment.
2.) What do the characters do?
They act as an ad hoc judge jury and executioner for demon (and non-demon) criminals that would otherwise go free due to their skill to avoid the mortal justice system. At the same time, they keep up a ‘’front’’ of mortal life and make sure their loved ones don’t come to harm.
3.) What do the players (including the GM if there is one) do?
The GM handles the world and the NPCs.
4.) How does your setting (or lack thereof) reinforce what your game is about?
The setting is modern, a world where demons are slowly taking over the darker sides of humanity (the criminals and ‘’evil’’ people) and making the world a much worse place for everyone. These demons are the adversaries.
5.) How does the Character Creation of your game reinforce what your game is about?
Character creation is focused on skills, attributes and powers. These are the tools the characters will be using in the face of adversity. Initially, the player will be asked to answer a few questions about his character, such as: general concept, previous position in heaven, reason for the ‘’fall’’, the host chosen and possibly a few more. This makes the character a bit clearer for the player and adds some background. Archetypes can be used if the player doesn’t feel like coming up with all aspects himself.
6.) What types of behaviours/styles of play does your game reward (and punish if necessary)?
There are no rewards for style of play or behaviour. You can either be a good guy that goes around saving people, or a bad guy killing with little evidence or reason.
7.) How are behaviours and styles of play rewarded or punished in your game?
There are no rewards for style of play or behaviour. You can either be a good guy that goes around saving people, or a bad guy killing with little evidence or reason.
8.) How are the responsibilities of narration and credibility divided in your game?
The GM narrates and controls the environment and the NPCs. Players control their characters.
9.) What does your game do to command the players’ attention, engagement, and participation? (i.e. What does the game do to make them care?)
It offers you what you need to create an interesting character with depth and personality. Sending that character into danger (both physical and mental) make the game interesting.
10.) What are the resolution mechanics of your game like?
No system yet
11.) How do the resolution mechanics reinforce what your game is about?
No system yet.
12.) Do characters in your game advance? If so, how?
They will advance by gaining experience points with which they can buy skills/abilities/powers.
13.) How does the character advancement (or lack thereof) reinforce what your game is about?
Well being able to buy additional powers or get better at existing skills/abilities/powers makes your character better equipped to deal with criminal scum.
14.) What sort of product or effect do you want your game to produce in or for the players?
I want the players to feel compassion for crime victims and rage towards the perpetrators. I want them to feel like going outside with a trunk full of guns and kill every demon they can find. Then I want them to doubt their very nature, after they’ve just killed a demon begging for mercy.
15.) What areas of your game receive extra attention and color? Why?
The horrible nature of violence is one. Although the game is largely about outright killing horrible horrible demons, violence is in itself a horrible act.
Besides that, the imperfect nature of a fallen angel merged with a mortal and the implications this kind of existence entails is key to the game.
16.) Which part of your game are you most excited about or interested in? Why?
I’m really excited about the possibilities of character creation (besides the fact that you’re a fallen angel, anything goes. You can make low-key, gritty characters with deep background stories and depth, or just use an archetype to create an ass kicking angel) and the themes presented in the game(nature of violence and revenge, guilt, justice).
17.) Where does your game take the players that other games can’t, don’t, or won’t?
Being able to create a rather unique character is one of the pros. Although you can do that in a lot of games, this particular angle and game theme hasn’t been done to my knowledge. I guess it’s a game where you can feel justified in killing as many as possible with no guilt. Of course, that’s a thin line to walk and you’ll find even that murderous demon scum resides in a host that has a wife and kids. Are you prepared to take their(admittedly, shell of a) husband and father from them?
18.) What are your publishing goals for your game?
I currently plan to publish a pdf.
19.) Who is your target audience?
Definitely adults, quite possibly experienced gamers looking to invest time in a game either too shallow or too deep.
Fallout 3 well under way(Bethesda buys Fallout IP)
New filings with the SEC show that Oblivion and current Fallout 3 developer Bethesda Softworks has officially purchased the Fallout series IP from current holders Interplay for $5.75 million, with Interplay now acting as licensee for its own planned Fallout MMO.
According to the filing, first spotted by Fallout fansite No Mutants Allowed, the purchase of the Fallout license and accompanying IP was settled on April 9th, with final payment installments expected to be delivered by the third quarter of this year.
Prior to the purchase, Bethesda was licensing the Fallout IP from Interplay as it has continued to develop Fallout 3, its own sequel to the cult-classic post-apocalyptic RPG series first developed by Black Isle Studios in 1997. In a recent interview, Bethesda’s Pete Hines told Gamasutra that the team was “a fairly good ways into the process”, and noted that “Fallout is not a quick two year process, and we are already several years into the project”.
In an interesting twist, as part of the agreement Interplay now acts as a licensee of the IP as it continues to ramp up production on its own Fallout-themed massively multiplayer game, first announced in 2004 alongside Bethesda’s sequel, and shown via internal documents as recently as December to have a projected $75 million dollar budget and launch date of 2010.
In a special clause of the purchase agreement, Interplay agrees that “full-scale development of its FALLOUT MMOG will commence within 24 months of the Effective Date of this Agreement” and that “Interplay will have secured financing for the FALLOUT MMOG in an amount no less than $30 million” within that time frame or forfeit its license rights for the MMO.
Similarly, “Interplay must, in addition, Commercially Launch… the FALLOUT MMOG within four years of the MMOG Development Commencement Date, or again, “Interplay will immediately lose and permanently forfeit its license rights under this Agreement.” If and when the Fallout MMO launches, Interplay has agreed to pay Bethesda 12 percent of the game’s sales and subscription fees for the use of the Fallout IP.
via gamasutra
Also check out Fallout 3 Official Website
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