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Post by Scott on Oct 9, 2012 9:55:51 GMT -5
Gene, are you gaming or writing at all these days?
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Post by geneweigel on Oct 9, 2012 10:09:48 GMT -5
No and trying.
Last night I was trying to convert the AD&D stats of these old monster stats into something publishable as straight up "D20/clone/D&D" free generic.
Before that I was trying to finish the lead up adventure to that bigger dungeon outside a city. Kind of like a T1 to the temple but not in any way in flavor except a part one thats only vaguely connected. I have a painted cover that I don't like (and will probably go on back) I have maps, I have the principal layouts, some stats, some art and/or pre sketches, I have new monsters, I have new magic items but I created this "other area" that ties in to the other dungeon and I can't minimize it and its a nagging beast. The whole idea grew around this thing and I can't let it go.
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Post by geneweigel on Oct 9, 2012 10:21:10 GMT -5
Last week or so I moved my computer desk down to the basement but I still have to move my art supplies which is a lot down there as well. So the old "dungeon" looks like half a dungeon. Damn kids with their need to sleep in a "room"!
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Post by Scott on Oct 9, 2012 10:36:31 GMT -5
Tell me about it, my gaming space has gotten smaller and smaller over the years.
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Post by Scott on Oct 9, 2012 10:43:08 GMT -5
The game I'm running by post on here is the only game I'm running right now. \ The last campaign I was running is on hold at the moment. I needed a break/some time to play as a player, but I'd like to start it up again at some point.
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Post by Scott on Oct 9, 2012 11:02:00 GMT -5
I lost the interest to write for a while, but recently my interest seems to be coming back. I think the way to go would be a short stand alone adventure. Get it out there and under your belt, and then try to build on that. I thinkl a problem I had was trying to do too much the first time around.
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Post by geneweigel on Oct 9, 2012 11:29:21 GMT -5
If I had no kids (11, 7, and almost 2) I'd probably have gotten a few things done already too! I just started bringing the 2nd one to school when the 3rd one came along... OUCH! The whole "dungeon" concept using the basement as a roost or "man den/cave" was initially good and then slowly bad because it sent all the "toys" to the basement which includes practically everything in the name of female "decor". When I lived in apartments from 1988 to 2001 shit like the CREATURE FROM THE BLACK LAGOON sat right in the living room on a shelf. Thats it! I'm painting the mural from the "Temple of the Eye" under the Hall of the Fire Giant King in the living room wall... and Zuggtmoy's debauchery mural in the bathroom! Just kidding!
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Post by Scott on Oct 9, 2012 11:35:37 GMT -5
Man, we are close there. Mine are 11, 6, and 3. I know exactly what you're talking about.
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Post by geneweigel on Oct 9, 2012 12:31:25 GMT -5
The "big dungeon" that i have is not actually a "big dungeon" its completely not what it was supposed to be and I slowly built this huge history. A few years ago I had a model of its destruction made of random crap that I had laying around to represent various elements and the maps are based on that mess. The history will not be included as its just there to be a skeleton to various elements.
Thats the same one i told you I was working on when I was doing that online game that I fizzled out on .
Another big thing game-wise/small thing publishing-wise was this revived city that I used prior to my 1983 purchase of the Greyhawk box. That was the catalyst for taking all remnants of the campaign that were original "not Greyhawk' and then tying that to:
A) the remnant players' views of their lands B) the new players' view of the village campaign C) all ideas in my folders for future adventures D) fusing a ten year old "new" campaign concept of the big city and big dungeon mentioned above E) all my campaign notes to compile every locale, plane, monster, deity and npc that were original
What I got out of that game-wise was:
A) A new "world" (continent or two) map with new countries B) New religions and new gods C) New detailed area maps around "the city" D) a revival of something of mine from early 80's that was a Gygax style big dungeon that I had totally neglected because it was too dumb. E) a giant patchwork of city street printouts that I threw together for one game. F) Shield heraldry of all these new countries*
*Now looking at the big morasse I see I don't like some of the new countries, I like the gods, I like the organizations but some I names are based too much on nostalgia for old players as tribute and need heavy revision.
What I got out it publishing-wise was:
A) Old adventures considered for published adventures (including the "Broken Castle" campaign.) B) An idea for comic stories some that I layed out but it got way too busy to continue. C) a whole 'nother mini-campaign on another part of the world map
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Post by geneweigel on Oct 9, 2012 12:35:30 GMT -5
Man, we are close there. Mine are 11, 6, and 3. I know exactly what you're talking about. Really? Thats freaky, is the last a girl?
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Post by Scott on Oct 9, 2012 12:41:49 GMT -5
Nah, all boys.
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Post by geneweigel on Oct 9, 2012 12:50:42 GMT -5
I was thinking maybe it was a mirror of my situation but I guess not. Its girl, girl and then boy over here!
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Post by GRWelsh on Oct 11, 2012 7:18:28 GMT -5
These drawings are great and have that raw energy that I associate with the early days of AD&D when the DM's were the artistic and/or rebellious kids. I think the drawings add so much to the flavor or atmosphere of a game. And I can almost hear the heavy metal soundtrack in the background. Keep drawing, Gene!
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Post by geneweigel on Oct 11, 2012 8:54:00 GMT -5
I actually was not that into heavy metal (although way more than prog rock) as most people who know me i was big on movies so I had a lot of soundtracks. I was getting so many requests for art (make my tattoo, etc) during the late 80's period it was annoying. This one relative of a relative wanted me to paint a sailboat for their boss and i thought it was the most retarded thing you could ask me at the time but they kept coming and expecting it to be done. I just wanted to grab her ears and scream "ORCS!!! FOR FUCK'S SAKE!!!" My drawings, you are only seeing the D&D related ones had people "unduly concerned". On my 17th birthday most relatives had thought that I belonged to a cult that worshipped a being called Cthulhu because of all the Lovecraftiana I had produced in art classes so they made a birthday cake covered in bugs that said CTHULHU NOW. Of course, I thought it was the most disgusting cake that I ever saw and i had a raging hangover from the wildest teenaged party the night before so that didn't help. But I was aghast at how stupidly they all believed there was a problem when i was always a problem solver. My mom has a picture of the actual cake but you can just make out the lime green icing behind the left chair webbing/lattice... BARF!!!
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Post by Scott on Oct 11, 2012 10:33:27 GMT -5
A Cthulhu cake? What a great idea!
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Post by geneweigel on Oct 11, 2012 10:49:18 GMT -5
A Cthulhu cake? What a great idea! It would have been cool if they weren't so goddamned square!
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Post by geneweigel on Oct 22, 2012 16:45:33 GMT -5
Heres a ballpoint pen try that did a cheap erasermate pen this morning. Rediscovering that these things don't really erase unless you press very lightly! This an upper demon (lord) with a demon wand artifact in front of another demon statue (prince) stylized to seem less demon-like etc., etc.,
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Post by GRWelsh on Oct 22, 2012 18:38:59 GMT -5
Talent like this deserves better than a ballpoint pen.
That's excellent!
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Post by geneweigel on Oct 22, 2012 19:13:58 GMT -5
I started on the ball point and those old images reminded me of those early days. Plus I had posted a pic of my old character "Gimli" a couple of years back and someone was really amazed by it as if I didn't really do it. It was in that Bic pen looking style and I wanted to go in slowly with an erasable to see if its still right offhand like it used to.
The problem with this talent is that its sensitive and pre-planning often confounds the energy.
Thats why it was easy to draw Iuz, Lolth and Zuggtmoy but when it came to planning the design of the Temple of Elemental Evil I just dead stopped with this large empty space on the left hand side of the drawing because I have to use a different approach.
I had really psyched myself up to illustrate all the planar monsters that I designed for the failed project because some were the same but different so they had to be well planned.
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Post by GRWelsh on Oct 22, 2012 20:05:20 GMT -5
Yeah, I know -- it's like when you are doodling on wide-ruled paper with a cheap ballpoint pen, sometimes that is when a good drawing just emerges out of nowhere because there is no pressure. I had a similar experience a few weeks ago down at my sister's when she broke out the big 140 lb Arches watercolor blocks for us to paint with. I just stared at the blank paper for a while, because I felt like that paper is too good to just doodle on. I felt like I needed to do something planned, and that kind of stifled me for a few minutes. I got over it.
But give me leftover copier paper from work and an Extra Fine Pilot pen, and I'm really in my element!
I read some good advice in a watercolor instruction book by artist Jack Reid. He said that baseball players who hit one out of every three balls on average are considered great. So, if an artist creates two pieces of crap for every good piece of art, then why shouldn't he be held to the same standard? So don't get discouraged by failed projects.
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