Holiday month, sort of

[lathany]

August has come and, more or less, gone. The weather picked up today but I've somehow ended up spending it indoors. Ah well, seems like a good moment for an update.

• Spring Summer Cleaning - As per usual when the duo disappear, there was cleaning and tidying of the house. I managed to tackle more or less everything I planned to, with the exception of the kitchen (although I did manage to wash the kitchen floor). It's not exactly the highlight of my holiday, but I do like (briefly) living in a clean and tidy house.
• Garden - The garden has been doing well in the cool, wettish weather; meaning I've had a fight on my hands this summer. There's still a long way to go, but I did manage to tame the flower bed by the back door. "I didn't know there was a path back there!" was bateleur's comment.
• OU - I'm waiting for my previous TMA mark to come back whilst putting off writing up my project. I've done pretty much everything except the write-up - appendices, structuring, references - but I'm running out of time, so sooner or later I'll have to get on with it. Monday, perhaps.
• Shadow Hearts 3 - I've been playing the third (or fourth if you count Koudelka) installment of the Shadow Hearts series. In many ways they've improved on the earlier versions with more fun side quests, a side-swipe at various Hollywood blockbusters and a slicker system. However, somewhere down the line they've lost the whole "plot" aspect and the atmosphere has none of the creep of the earlier episodes (particularly Koudelka and SH1, but even SH:C had some). However, it's not over yet, so there may still be some to come. Although it also seems close to the end - and a lot shorter than any of the predecessors.
• Infinity - The second mini-campaign closed with a moral dilemma; should we leave the human race to be overshadowed by a race of Guardian descendants who were far more powerful, or should we kill the girl who was/would be responsible? After much debate, she handed over the means to spread the race and thus ensure that they were not all brought up under her teachings (which all the signs pointed towards being heavily them-and-us) and there was finally agreement to let her live and look after her own industrial scale output of offspring. It was a difficult issue which split the party and it was a relief to finally come to a decision we could all back. In terms of the wider universe, there will, apparently, be at least one more mini-campaign, but that's all I know.
• From the Cellars of Xanadu - Back in the Dark Ages (late nineties) chrestomancy and I agreed to run games for each other instead of giving presents. Then nothing happened. For ages. Finally, about four years ago now (I think), chrestomancy presented me with Final Fantasy for which I chose a player list. Last summer I came up with an idea to run for him, which I've been working on in spurts ever since. It's Warhammer 40K inspired and has moved from being a long weekend game to a midi campaign. However my game is turning into the most prep-heavy thing I've ever run with weapons lists, maps, handouts galore and a D8 combat system. Thing is, I want to sort out the bulk of my notes before I start running sessions, but at this rate it'll be another decade before I start. However, I've got a player list from chrestomancy so I'm going to use it as an incentive to kick off sessions before Xmas before my GM-withdrawal symptoms get any worse.

Comments

[adamsmithjr.livejournal.com]

...and I need to get the inside track on your game theory research!

[secondhand-rick.livejournal.com]

somewhere down the line they've lost the whole "plot" aspect and the atmosphere...

I couldn't agree more.

I still haven't played Koudelka, so I can't comment on it, but Shadow Hearts was head and shoulders above the others in terms of plot and atmosphere.

I blame the lack in part on the fun side quests you mention/. I felt they so watered down any sense of direction and purpose as to render the game almost without meaning.

[lathany.livejournal.com]

Yes, I agree about the watering down. Whilst they were more interesting in mechanics terms than those in SH:C, they didn't add to the plot. I think, considering the games that have impressed me, side quests in this sort of genre should add information about the plot (an excellent example is Vincent from FFVII who I didn't pick up the first time around, but his backstory furthers understanding of what happened).