Steve Jackson's Blog, page 52

June 5, 2024: What Happened To Laser Pointers?

I recently talked about gaming advancements that didn't exist when I started but now seem to be everywhere. This one is kind of the opposite: Whatever happened to laser pointers?

Sure, they're still around, but for a few minutes in the late 1990s, they seemed to be omnipresent. Admittedly, that might be because I worked retail that had them on display, but I recall them being kind of everywhere among certain folks. Nowadays, they require more hunting to find.

Which is too bad. They're really handy at the game table, especially on games with intricate or fiddly board states. With a laser pointer, I can highlight one feature amid lots of other chits or pieces I'd prefer not to disturb ("Let me confirm: You want to open this door, which definitely doesn't have a pit in front of it?"). Even teaching rules is easier when I can draw attention to specific elements on a card or board as I go over various elements.

I still have my decades-old pointer, and I see that they're available on Amazon, but it just feels different these days. Someone who knows more than I do might have insight into why the seemingly ubiquitous red-dot pew-pews aren't commonplace anymore (or if my own perceptions were distorted by the era of Surge cola and original Doritos 3D); if so, you're welcome to share your insights on the forums. Of course, if there are any other gaming goodies that seem less common than you remember, feel free to walk with me down memory lane with your own recollections.

– Steven Marsh

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

June 4, 2024: Forging A Weird Future

I recently became aware of an aesthetic style that's become known as Frutiger Aero, roughly popular from 2004 to 2013. Its name comes from the combination of Windows Aero and the Frutiger font (which was ubiquitous in the corporate world during that era). Basically, it's that shiny-super-computer-generated-but-organic look that things had for a while; if you're imagining a smooth CGI dolphin splashing out of a perfectly rendered water-surface pool with chrome rounded corners against a blue-and-green saturated landscape, you're in the right mental space. Scroll through a few pages of the Frutiger Aero Reddit, if you dare.

For those who move linearly through time like I do, it seems difficult in the moment to know what's a "trend" and what's . . . just the way things are. Like, 20 years ago I probably would've said that stainless-steel-chrome everything was a kitchen trend, but that stuff is still everywhere even now. Conversely, many who remember the puke-green and mustard-yellow of the 1970s can recall that palette's own ubiquity, yet it is now relegated to the shadowy realms of a bygone era.

If you create futuristic tabletop RPG settings or alternate histories, an easy way to establish the future is to make up a design aesthetic and say, "Yep, this is what folks are doing now. In the future." Marine-rescue orange as the predominant color? Computer-user elements that dismiss windows by disintegrating into pixel-dust? Exact cubes as the overriding design decision? Welcome to tomorrow. It may not make sense, but no one asked for Frutiger Aero or mustard yellow; someone just started doing it, and we all went along for the ride.

– Steven Marsh

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

June 3, 2024: SFWA Honors Jennell Jaquays

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association (SFWA) has announced that the 2024 Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award is being presented posthumously to Jennell Jaquays. The ceremony will take place at the 59th Annual SFWA Nebula Awards ceremony on June 8.  The Kate Wilhelm Solstice Award is given to individuals who have made "significant contributions to the science fiction, fantasy, and related genres community." Ms. Jaquays' work as a fantasy artist, game designer, and editor has had a profound influence on sci-fi and fantasy media, and she joins an impressive group of genre luminaries whose work has helped shape pop culture. In addition to her work in analog and digital gaming, Ms. Jaquays is also being recognized for her activism and role as the creative director of the Transgender Human Rights Institute in Seattle. Ms. Jaquays passed away on January 10 of this year. Her wife, Rebecca Heineman, will accept the award on Ms. Jaquays' behalf.

– Katie Duffy

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

June 2, 2024: Questions Three: Steve Jackson

You know who Steve Jackson is; if you don't, the fact that the very web page you're reading this from has some variation of "Steve Jackson Games" plastered prominently in at least one place should provide a vital clue.

Hey, Steve! Do you mind if I borrow the "Questions Three" format from Hexagram for Daily Illuminator posts? It's a cool feature, and I think it'd be fun to interview folks who are part of the SJ Games team as a way to provide insight into what's going on behind the scenes.

I think they should be short, but it's a good idea . . .

Great! Would you mind being the subject of the first entry?

Not at all. Go right ahead.

Wait; these aren't counting as my three questions, are they?!

Devil's in the details, isn't it?

* * *

Interviewer's note: Not my finest hour, but hopefully you get the idea. Stay tuned for future installments while I try to get the hang of this.

– Steve Jackson, interviewed by Steven Marsh

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

June 1, 2024: In Defense Of Scrappy-Doo

Like many folks about my age, I never much cared for Scrappy-Doo. I always found the character to be lackluster and annoying compared to the rest of the Scooby Gang. Recently, I've had episodes of the half-hour Scooby-Doo and Scrappy-Doo mysteries on in the background as I work (it fulfills my "interesting but not distracting" personal requirement for workday television). And – to my surprise – they're pretty good!

I mean, they'll never be my "favorite" episodes of the franchise, but the mysteries are decent, the animation is solid, the "monster" designs are memorable, and it's nice to hear "newish" material from the original voice actors. I could psychoanalyze my original distaste (and I suspect when I get to the more-fantastic seven-minute shorts, I'll relive some of that), but right now, I have over a dozen new episodes that I can experience with a fresh perspective.

Tying it into our preferred pastime around these parts, I've been surprised more than once by playing a game I didn't like previously, only to discover that I actually had fun the second time. Sometimes the stress of learning a new game throws me off (especially if misunderstanding a rule makes me crash and burn . . . sometimes literally). And every so often, a dozen other variables can make the first game go wrong.

So if there's a Scrappy-Doo in your gaming closet, maybe pull it out and give it another chance!

– Steven Marsh

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

May 31, 2024: Car Wars And Mad Max

A recent Forbes article discussed boardgames that might appeal to fans of the Mad Max film franchise. Car Wars got a shout-out, as did Gaslands and a few other titles that feature some combination of apocalyptic wastelands and vehicular combat. I was honestly surprised to see how many of them are out there. While there are plenty of tabletop games that make use of licensed IP, I'm curious about what other games could appeal to fans of film franchises without the need for specific branding. Lord of the Rings fans would probably enjoy Pathfinder , of course, but what about people who love the Jaws, Terminator, or James Bond films? Perhaps we'll see future lists like these as more remakes and reboots appear on big and small screens. If you have some great go-withs, let us know on the forums! 

– Katie Duffy

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

May 30, 2024: Soup Du Jeu?

A while back, I mentioned the idea of inventing a new sauce for each game session, for chicken nugs or other dippable foods. Forum frequenter johndallman had a great idea: soup! This inventive GM would concoct a new soup to present at each monthly session.

Soup is great "gaming food." It's easy to enjoy out of a bowl or mug, it'll keep for hours in a slow cooker on warm, and it's relatively straightforward to make and transport.

I think a soup du jeu ("Soup of the Game" – GET IT?!?!) is a great idea that I'll seriously consider for the next time I host something ongoing.

Thanks again for the tip, johndallman! (See, the Hidden Masters are reading your messages!)

– Steven Marsh

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

May 29, 2024: Christmas In May? Yes, Please!

While we are still 7 months away from Christmas, it is never too early to start planning for gifts. We have two fun, easy family games to last all season! We still have a few of these left in our warehouse, and reprints will be arriving in September 2024.  The 12 Dice of Christmas is simple to learn and plays quickly. Choose dice to acquire the correct numbers to purchase presents while attempting to keep opponents from grabbing the numbers they need. You'll get 12 Christmas-y dice along with a soft, red dice bag and a scorepad. All you need is a pencil to start buying those presents! The 12 Dice of Christmas can be yours for $14.95.   As we all know, we don't always get exactly what we ask for in the way of holiday gifts. Bad Christmas , a family-friendly game, takes that to the extreme with a tuna-flavored candy cane, a wind-up fruitcake and other, well, let's call them unique gifts. Collect your favorites as fast as possible before the game suddenly ends. Grab a copy on Warehouse 23 for just $9.95! Add these stocking stuffers to your shopping list today. Happy (early) holidays from the Steve Jackson Games team!

– Michelle Richardson

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

May 28, 2024: Cosmic Cat Comics Needs Help

I got my start professionally in the gaming world by working for Cosmic Cat Comics & Games in Tallahassee, Florida, during my college years. A fixture of Florida's panhandle for 37 years, the shop continued to evolve as the volatile hobby world did. The most-recent iteration of the Cosmic Cat made its home in an eclectic art-district park known as Railroad Square, home to many artists and small businesses.

Sadly, on Friday, May 10, two tornadoes tore through Railroad Square, ripping apart many structures. One of the hardest-hit buildings was the venerable Cosmic Cat, which also housed Cat owner Ned Stacey's art studio. Being an artistic community, insurance was scarce and options are limited. A depressing overview of the situation comes from the Railroad Square owners, who talk about the near-impossibility of trying to repair wood-and-tin structures that are 60-80 years old.

The Cosmic Cat is trying to work out its own path forward, complete with a GoFundMe campaign. Obviously I don't expect everyone to have the same emotional pangs that I – and many present-and-former Tallahasseeians – feel . . . but it's my understanding that my retail experience is one of the elements that led to me becoming Pyramid editor 24 years ago. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Mostly I encourage you to take stock of your own community's artistic and small-business endeavors. Appreciate what you can, help as you're able, and support your friendly local game shops. Too often the things we take for granted can be gone like a flash of lightning.

– Steven Marsh

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!

May 27, 2024: Memento More-y!

I'm a community-theater geek (insert joke about "being dramatic" here). At the end of most shows, I've given a memento to the cast and crew. This might be an ornament (especially around holiday shows), knickknack, certificate, or something else thematically related to the show. If I were to run a longer-running tabletop game/campaign nowadays (especially with a group I like), I'd be tempted to the same at the end, as a souvenir of the game.

Some fairly quick-and-easy ideas:

• Candy! A game set in modern-day Japan or Europe would be a great reason to give a few regionally appropriate treats from the area they adventured in.

• Coins! Was it a modern (in the past 70 years or so) campaign? If so, you might be able to buy coins for the participants. For one production I was in, I bought 1950s quarters from the year the show first ran (it had a governmental subplot, so it made sense). If you're not super-concerned about condition, they're pretty cheap, especially if you're just getting a few.

• Pictures! A picture or illustration of a symbolic/interesting element from the game can be really quick and easy to make, especially if you have a printer capable of doing photos. There's even room on the back for the name and dates of the campaign, and maybe a heartfelt message if that's how you roll.

I could list dozens more here, but that should provide some starting inspiration. Regardless, giving players something to remember a beloved game can make tangible memories to be treasured long after the last session ends. If you commemorate your favorite games in some way, let us know on the forums.

– Steven Marsh

Warehouse 23 News: The City Never Sleeps Because Of All The Action

There are a million stories in the city, and they're all exciting! GURPS Action 9: The City shows how you can add GURPS City Stats to your GURPS Action campaigns. It also features six sample cities to use with your own action-packed adventures. Download it today from Warehouse 23!