Posts

Showing posts from March, 2009

Another Reason Gaming relates to Success in life

Game Theory . If you click on this link, you find a bit about game theory. Recently I've been investing in some entrepreneurship consumables. One interesting investment was 14 hour lecture on Game theory. It is interesting when I think about the synergy of Game Theory and Hot Decision Making, which is needed with entrepreneurship. Battle tech . Well, what I liked about the Mech Warrior Computer Game was that it was that it was really fast paced. After playing irsoft and I noticed that the decision making under fire and from the POV of the combatant is very different from moving pieces on the board. I've made adjustments in the way I handle combat on Table Top combat: reduced decision making time, reduced general visibility of opponents, and in general didn't allow PC to PC communication unless they really spent seconds speaking. Battle Tech also weirded me out, when I had to glean some very basic engineering and manufacturing principles, and basic military theory (all learn

Roles: the most important part of RPGs and in Life

Roles . When I was trying to create a solution in a simplified answer in gauging economic status for a game I was overwhelmed by the simplest of answers: " what is your economic role?". It was this question that allowed me to sum up all the valuable labor (chores), non-primary income generating activities, and the ability to make most of a "family's" economic decisions. In the game, it simplified a lot and answered just as much. Then I thought, why not take that question much farther: "What is my role..." In my job, In my family, In my friends, and in my own plans? It may not be really important, but when you come from a background that deals with a lot of fantasy, where everything is suspended in nothing and exists for no particular reason, you see how the answer is very important. I didn't realize how, in external POV role was very important. I can summarize many complicated attributes in a few simple Roles. Roles automatically define relationshi

To Prove Something

Creativity . I come from a creative background. My mom would always say my logic was wrong and would say that it is because I'm an artist. Growing up, I was the worst artist I knew most of the time. I was neither creative nor inventive. I failed in every art contest but one and I saw my lack of creativity compared to many of my peers draw starkly. Over time, I did see the other side of veil of "creativity". I slowly began to see also that what I considered the application of fundamental rules of balance, contrasts and targeted audience considered something of "Creative" by many others. Sorry for bashing creativty but I don't believe I'm a creative and believe people who think they are, they are intuitive followers of these 3 fundamental aspects. Creativity is nothing without its results. Their results are measured by their attraction and ability to do what it was intended to do for its intended audience. Sounds familiar? Because creativity is Predictable

I'm a Mess

A mess . I'm a bit of a mess from sleeping only a few hours every day for the past week. I know it is about time for me to fix my sleeping habits. I will have to make some serious decisions about my priorities. Organizing . I will write down my objectives clearly. I will critically assess how am I to best spend my free time and how I am to meet my cathartic needs despite my busy sched. I should really not squeeze any of these things at work. I've been feeling guilty about it, and it has slowed my progress immensely. Post Apocalyptic . The guys want to play post apoc. Its all about the 2012 thing. I have a 4 hour budget in developing it. That is a "slot" of an afternoon. I will draw up some achievable bench marks that will try to keep game perp within that budget. "Finished or Not Finished" Byzantine Game: Sins of the Crusade . I admit that as I think more about it. It will take more than 10 hours to prep this. I guess I have to rough it and wing some part

To shut up and channel it somewhere else

This Discussion . I really should not comment, so I'll comment over here. 1. What is Between the Lines . A new Setting? why would the OP want a new setting. GURPS can do any setting and its players play any setting that tickles their fancy. What is really frustrating to many GURPS lovers is actually the Market for RPGS. Its golden age has been almost 25 years gone. There are many and strong factors that are contributing to its weakening grasp, despite it new freedom to play the game. 1.1. Virtual Table Top . WotC has the business strategists and experts to see this is the direction in where gaming can reclaim some of its lost market. If they are the industry leader and see that this is where it is going, then why isnt SJgames going there? We'll get to the reason soon. 1.2. Ebooks . Many have moved to EBooks, SJgames has their e23 and Drive Thru RPGs caters to this market as well. EBooks saves money in costs: in inventory, printing, and publishing. It allows for a wider distribu

Twas the bday.

My wife have given me an early birthday gift: "Managing Projects Large and Small" and "Introduction to Business" . Mastering a Book at a time . I was thinking I should start reading up on a bunch of Organizational and Entrepreneurial books. Although I noticed that, typically it only takes a book with the fundamentals. In my experience, master of the basics is where the more complex systems come from. They seem to just come naturally from the basics, as if they were always there. Anyway, I don't think I will need more books. Not until i master these basic principles. Its already an exercise trying to apply them to everything I do.

Cheating: Why We Do it

I find this important. I personally like the last message notably.

GMing is all about Organization

Growing up Gamer . I've been trying to work in my transitional state of Gamer to Business for a while now. I've always been a frequenter of the SJgames forums and like to look through questions I could contribute too and listen to the input of my interest. Slowly, I've become aware of what I can say about how my gaming have influence some important real world skills. GMing I have realized is where I've first worked on my Organizational skills. Gming is hard work, especially for those who have a real passion for it. To those who know me well, my brother Melchior was the innovator of the Game Prep. I would, like a total idiot, run games in a fly and it would blow up in my face. My younger brother was the one who started organizing his ideas and really made the effort to systematize his game planning. One thing I have to be strangely grateful for are: players who pushed my limits. When players munchkined , when they min/maxed, optimized, asked for things out of theme,

Is Greed Bad?

I had a conversation where I couldn't voice my honest opinion . And the concept of greed automatically being bad is pretty interesting to a secular mind. As a secularist, greed isn't bad its just a natural force like hunger, thirst, curiousity and horniness. It is not EXPRESSLY bad. It is a desire, but that of money. Would it be possible for an HONEST man to be greedy? People wanting money is not bad, people breaking laws and infringing in the rights of other people in the pursuit of that money is bad. Since there are ways to make money honestly, hence businesses, then why should greed be bad? Just because a person wants a lot of money, doesnt automatically make them bad. I want a LOT of money, just like anyone honest enough to admit to themselves they really do. Technically, I am greedy. Although, unlike the other half of all greedy people, I would gladly work for it. Just because people are greedy doesnt make them bad. In Fact it makes them more predictable and more "usa

Cynics and Secularists

Religolous . Watched the movie. It makes me think of how all religious books are meant for the religious. Why would somebody who is religious ever pick up God is Not Great, watch religolous, or an opposing religion's religious book. Curiosity is said to be the devil's tool. Strangely in Opus Dei, we were supposed to attack other religions with a keen mind. Strangely that keen mind turned on its self is able to do just a good a job as in other religions. I wonder and already know how my parents would react to listening to God is not Great or Religolous. They would call it "hubris". Strangely, "Hubris" is what all filipinos call what they don't particularly like without any justification. That politician is "mayabang" (arrogant) etc... you hear this a lot in Philippine Culture. But, what one will relialize with some self searching is that, its all about a difference of Values. Strangely, a lot of Filipinos don't understand they feel that way

Finally Internet

Interwebs . I'm sure my wife will rave about this more than me. Anyway, we have internet and nuff said.

The need to sleep earlier

30 Rock is Bad. if you want to sleep early. Dexter and Didi . Among what I am following right now: Dexter, Rome, and Dark Tower. Writing . I'm writing some stuff for my Game, which I plan to post in my Byzantine Blog when I edit it. Its really weird, the flood of ideas and the level of understanding I have now. I didn't know how much there was to know of how influence and power works. I'm in a GM frenzy mood of writing up a game. Thankfully, the effort is not going to be wasted. This setting I'm drawing up is pretty robust and has a lot of internal mechanisms that follow many historical precedents yet takes a unique spin from there. The game I'm talking about is the "Sins of the Crusades" game I'm going to run. The setting fluff is pretty interesting especially since, I don't have to draw a map and its Post Dark Ages where history was pretty bare to begin with. A perfect set up for an Altered History story. Watching Rome Season 1 was very conduciv

At the Eheads concert

not like me. if you know me personally, you would know I don't listen to the radio or music anymore. I'm a big audio book guy and it has worked out for me. I don't have music echoing in my head or any LSS. What am I doing here? well, it is interesting to be in a concert and get to see the avid adoration of fans. It is quite an experience ... I love my wife... anyway i'm here squating while waiting for the next set. i'm worried about the car and the scary parking bec of rash of car break ins and the poor security and ripe opportunity of the concert.

Good News for Me

bad news for most comic publishers... but good news for my business plan . The news basically means, there should be better cost effectiveness for comics. I agree, but more to the point, I have one already and I need to know who to approach. I've been laying down the foundations and I'm working on the business plan, in what I call my Comic Project . Its a simple enough name and I don't want to betray the kick-a$$ production process that I have developed for it. Right now, I'm doing some research on operational costs and looking for Blender 3d Artists. I've also begun looking for someone who can sell or market it to the comic industry from here. Hopefully it pans out. If your interested in knowing, the start up costs are pretty small... very small. Heck the overall production method is simple, the factors that prevented it from being viable in the first place are: - Comic Industry has a stong Traditional nature in its Production Methods. New methods will certainly be

PLDT internet problems

What they don't tell you . In a Condominium, they actually pay the Condo to have access to the residence and offer them internet. PLDT installs a equipment with a limited number of slots (which only PLDT can determine) that would allow them to communicate and provide their services to the condo. If they don't have enough slots, it will appear that the Condo has PLDT internet capability while you wait 2-3 weeks for them to fix that. If their slots are full, they won't tell you that they are and they won't upgrade their facilities (even if it is their responsibility) because the costs to do so will out weigh the revenue of another resident who will pay for internet. That Technical Service or their Call Centers DOESN'T KNOW THIS and cannot help you, even if your problem has been sited for 7 or so months! That this critical "FLAW" in their system, is meant to keep you holding on until enough people arrive to make such an internet connection financially viable

Like Father like Sons

Dad and Mom related a dinner they had yesterday . This was a get together with coworkers from way back at 1974. Strangely, the most notable element about the get together was my parents. While everyone else were still employees and haven't much changed their station since, Mom and Dad were unusual in how they turned out. I found out that not much was expected from Dad (as mom would imply "loser"). Something, my siblings and I have strongly in common with him. Another strange parallelism is how both of us repeated grade 2 and fell on our face braking our front teeth. Stranger still is many other things about the lives... It is just so strange... I don't know what to make of it. Beyond these conversations with my folks, in some way they gave their blessing with some of the plans I have made. My Hepa . I came from the national kidney transplant institute in Quezon. It was really, really strange to have to listen to a child desperately pleading no when, like that child,

A lot of things to do

Business Plans . Interestingly My GM side gets a small kick making business plans. It has so many parrells, especially in as far as designing adventures for players who's task it to throw your plans back at your face. Not much difference in challenge, but in terms of skills, there are some strong parralles. Much like a GM, you approach a situation that can be tackled with an infinite amount of possibilities by setting up what you think you can tackle. What you learn being a GM is to systematically approach every situation. What can seem like infinity can be made finite, and what is finite can be deliberately worn down or thoroughly analyzed. Like a GM, you have to follow keen universal rules of thumb in how people, and things turn out when the best laid plans are made. GMs have to be adaptable and able to be very accommodating with what ever situation comes their way, if they aren't they such as GMs and no one's gonna play your game. I'm here in Mega right now . I have