Suspension... and Disbelief

So I am writing this blog to begin the tedious process of sharing my life (and the little insights I have regarding same) with the hordes of people who really give a crap about it.

CURRENT
Currently my WoW account is temporarily suspended, due to the negative cash-flow of Wintereenmass - uh, Xmas. Hopefully it will return soon. However this has given me an excellent opportunity to review and replay some of my other favourite games. Here is a partial list:

• Total War: Shogun 2
This is just an excellent game. I have yet to get into the multiplayer aspects, since I still really enjoy the single-player mode so very much.


• GTA: San Andreas
Probably the best of the GTA series so far, althought rumour has it there is a GTA5 scheduled for release in early 2012.


• Dungeons & Dragons Online
Well, as a long-time fan of the P&P (pencil and paper) version of AD&D, I was excited to play this free MMORPG, however it isn't as excellent as the P&P version was. But seriously, what ever is?


• APB Reloaded
A quite fun MMO/FPS (free from Steam)

PREVIOUS
There is way to much to cover since April, so I will merely summarize the most general items:

• The boy has grown, and continues to be a handful - both of joy and frustration;
• Summer plans to visit with close friends were a big hit (at least for us heh heh);
• Work continues to occupy my life 45 hours a week;
• The girls and I are going to embark on a "Brickfilm" adventure...

UPCOMING

January 2012: I am going to be increasing my presence and participation in Social Media

My Gaming Background

Some of you may know me as a gamer from way back. Waaay back. I mean all the way to the beginning of "Gaming" itself. Yep, I mean Dungeons & Dragons™. I played that back in the late 70's thanks to my dad (who is almost as avid a gamer as I am).

This led me to play other RPG's: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons™; Top Secret™; Top Secret:SI™; Paranoia™; Runescape™; Gamma World™; TMNT™; Marvel Superheroes™; & Twilight 2000™. There were others, but you get the idea.

There were also board games: Monopoly™ (a favourite); Axis & Allies™; Risk™; Chess; Go Moku; Generals™; and more.

Then there were the hybrids - board games that involved some role-playing. These were, in the early days, primarily of the Military Strategy variety: Squad Leader™ & Advanced Squad Leader™; Tank Commander; Car Wars™ and the like. There were others of a less militant nature. I was less fond of these.

There was an endless stream of computer-based games as well – some with titles above, some not. Most followed the same general themes – conquest, military and economic development, scientific breakthroughs, etc.

To round out this group are the myriad game-mutations, game modifications, and game creations that I concocted over the years of my gaming life. Some of them have no names, some have working titles, and some have almost complete work-ups. I even contacted a game vendor in Calgary some years ago concerning the possibility of consignment sales of a game I had developed – “BattleArena”. Alas, the heyday of my game development was brought short by that great equalizer: No Money.

I have never given up on developing a game, and some of the ideas I generated for games I still have – one dating from grade 10 (an untitled epic of Country vs. Country on a global scale that could support up to 32 players and involved politics, economics, military development & deployment, scientific creativity, and a well executed overall strategy). It was an ambitious undertaking for a 15 year old kid who couldn’t even get other “strategy enthusiasts” to look at it, due in large part to the 35lb box it was carried around in. I was waiting (unknowingly) for the computer age to evolve to the point where this game could be done. Here it is, the age is upon us and the game remains “undeveloped”. For now, heh heh.

Where does this lead me? Well, I am not sure, but I know that gaming is going to be a large part of my social life for many years to come.

GAME ON!



~Cheers, Scott

Lie? Me? Never! The Truth is far too much fun!