D. Hunter Phillips's Blog, page 6

Cooking with what you got

A couple weeks ago, I was thinking that I needed to go grocery shopping, yet I still had a bunch of food sitting around getting old. So, I pulled out all the food that was getting old and started to try to put a meal together. Brussel sprouts, bacon, onion, goat cheese stuffed pasta.

I looked up a recipe for butter browned brussel sprouts and made sure to cook them for 5-7 minutes so they didn’t get the “gas” problem that cabbage type veggies can get.

I fried up the bacon and onions and some garlic and pulled some aside to mix with the sprouts. The rest that I had I used to make a sauce for my pasta. I made a brown butter sherry cream sauce, very lightly, to mix the pasta in. The sauce should have been thinner, but I’ve so often had the problem of thin sauce that I over compensated.

Of course, I had to shred some romano cheese on top of it all. Can’t go without the cheese!

This Week in LARP nerdom

I failed at my mission. I brought my camera into the danger zone of the woods with no case (since I ripped and broke mine). I took Zero pictures! Arrrgghhh!

I had a pretty good time. I continue to wrack up observations as to what is in good shape and what needs improvement.

I am so far behind as far as geography, story lines, and racial information goes, that being a story teller doesn’t seem all that feasible. I can still run one hell of a mod with help from the right people.

The main thing I’ve noticed is that there needs to be somebody like a Coordinator that is giving people a timeline and making people do stuff.

I witnessed, on more than one occasion, showing up at HQ and finding willing NPCs that were sitting on their hands for as much as an hour and in one case, several hours. This is just… well… it shouldn’t happen.

As for what I got to do:

I escorted a half a dozen interested people around to check out the game and they asked lots and lots of questions. At first, people were turning them away, I immediately poo-pooed that and took the visitors under my wing. Thanks to those that helped with that effort.

Played Baron Petra again, to attend a wedding, which was enjoyable as I bantered with one of the good guy knights (Sithias).

Got to come out as a random negotiator and wear an eye patch.

I came out as Lord Morgan Traelus to attend a big political meeting and my wife (in character) to be got poisoned, wtf?

I got to do a bunch of storytelling and descriptive stuff and had a couple newer players compliment me on my use of adjectives to make them feel queasy.

Lastly, I ran a good old fashioned cave adventure. We did it economy style. I went in as a hic prospector and pulled the players within about 5 minutes and then immediately dressed as a bad guy for the same adventure It was a grand ole’ time.

Reflections on running Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay by FFG

Roleplaying in my standard gaming group has been very experimental for a few months or maybe even a year now. Some of this is probably a push from me (who usually runs the games) to do something new and different. We’ve been RPing together for so long that it just seems like its time to really branch out and find some new thing that we haven’t experienced at least twice before.

One of those attempts to find something new was a recently concluded game of the newest edition of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay by Fantasy Flight Games.

The campaign was an astounding success. Some of that can be attributed to the system. The careers really add good flavor to the game. Everyone was very into their characters and had some great development with very little work.

Pros:

The dice really added a good storytelling element to the battles.

Picking actions and figuring out what to roll seemed pretty easy, as all the players picked that aspect up pretty quickly.

The wound cards are a great way to dish out cool effects for crits and an easy way to see how much different players are hurt just from looking around the table.

The Stress and Fatigue tracks were a really nice addition, especially when it came to non-combat situations having a lasting impact in such a way as damage would.

The monster cards and ability cards for monsters made it super easy to run encounters and come up with encounters on the fly. This is another one of the best elements that this game added.

Cons:

The dice can be a little confusing and difficult to get used to at first.

The way cards with abilities get recharge tokens takes away some of the utility of having action cards. I was hoping that the cards could just be in a deck or be held in someone’s hand, but with the tokens, you must put them on the table. This makes the table very cluttered and kind of defeats the point of that mechanic in my opinion.

The different stats, careers, and builds seemed very imbalanced in the end. The most powerful characters, by far, were high toughness dwarves with shields and decent armor. I could almost never more than scratch them with a single wound on an attack. Any attack that would hurt them more would just about kill other characters in one hit. The faith based magic seemed pretty weak. No one used arcane magic, so I can’t say how that compares. But, wearing armor as an Arcane caster is very detrimental, so I couldn’t see that being viable to survival.

What ever happened to Goth Prom

I have remembered so many fond experiences from so many countless years of Goth Prom. This year, I managed to actually convince three of my co-workers to go along with me. It wasn’t easy, but in the end, they were actually very excited to go. We all got dressed up and even got them all to put on make-up. We got to Town at about 10pm and I am so glad that we showed up then instead of any earlier time.

The place was almost empty when we showed up. I felt like I had to find some desperate way to entertain my guests so that they might do such things with me again some other time.

In the end, we did, or at least, I did have fun. I enjoyed a great deal of the music played on both dance floors. It sort of goes back to why I love dance nights that have more than one dance floor. I can probably find something I want to dance to on one floor or the other and this proved to be true again.

Is this goth prom being this slow the final nail in the coffin for the goth scene in DC? I really hope not. I know a lot of new events are showing up and a lot of new concerts are coming in through some Virginia venues (which is much more convenient for me anyway).

I think the main problem with this year’s goth prom was probably the absence of a band or act to draw in lots of people. So many years of bands like Voltaire, Covenant, and others really packed the whole building. It would always remind me of the old glory days of Alchemy.

I hope and dream that the scene will pick up again, maybe we just need some new gothish cult popular movies to come out and interest the young angsty teenagers. The death of Indie rock would also go a long way.

40k Battle Report: Tau and Imperial Guard vs. Orks

I recently got a couple of friends over to my house in Alexandria, VA for a throw down of Orky proportions. My buddy was unable to get a hold of his Eldar models so he got to play the green horde while I teamed up with another friend to bring the ranged pain of Tau and Imp Guard.

We used some modular terrain I made a long time ago and that’s been buried in storage for several years. We put together the dining room table and a fold out table that I own (which had a lower height by about an inch). We used our imagination to describe the height difference in the tables as a crevice caused by an Earthquake. It gave a 4+ cover save and was dangerous terrain for vehicles and difficult for troops.

The Tau and Imperial Guard got to choose a side of the board, and we went for the side with the crevice. It would give us the benefit of cover but also the danger of the Imp guard vehicles crashing.

Ork 2000 point army

Warboss

10 Nob squad with a pain boy and all shoota/skorchas.

Battlewagon

30 Ard Boys

Big Mek with a kustom force field

5 Tank busta boys

1 Looted Wagon

Deff dread

2 Killa kans

1 Zzap gun

1 Wartrukk with a squad of slugga boys

3 warbuggies

1 warbuggy w/ skorcha

3 Deffkoptas

3 Warbikes

Tau 1000 point army

12 Kroot snipers with a krootox and 2 kroot hounds

12 Firewarriors with a Cadre Fireblade

6 Firewarriors

6 Firewarriors in a Devilfish with an Ethereal

2 Broadsides with 4 missile pods

1 Sniper Drone team

Hammerhead gunship

6 Pathfinders

Imperial Guard 1000 point army

Leman Russ Executioner

Command squad

2 Chimeras each with a platoon commander

4 squads of men with the platoons

1 heavy weapon team of mortars

1 Griffon

1 Sentinel

Ratling sniper squad

Turn 1A

The Ratling snipers managed to score first blood on the Zzap gun. I’ve never used the artillery before and it was just too easy to kill, so sorry to my friend that I tried it out on.

The Tau armored spearhead moved up on the flank that had very few orks and prepared to secure the objective next to the river. The imperial guard started their general advance while the Tau mostly hung back to support fire. One small fire warrior squad moved up to secure the bunker in the middle of the battlefield.

Turn 1B

Very poor luck doomed the orks early with the looted wagon being forced to move forward so that it could not use its Boomgun. Even worse, the Battlewagon went over dangerous terrain and was immobilized, so the Nob squad and Warboss had to disembark earlier than desired. Just to add insult to injury, one of the warbuggies also got immobilized from terrain. The squad still got into melee with a Chimera and destroyed it, but this put it out in the open and not in close combat. The orks forced the kroot to have to move to regain coherency, messing up their sniper shots.

Turn 2A

Basically, the number one goal was just to take out the Nob squad and Warboss (composing about 450 points). If that unit survived, the Tau would probably get wiped out one unit at a time. The combined firepower of both armies was enough to wipe out the squad, just barely.

Turn 2B

The orks kept slogging forward and took out some Imperial Guard, but it wasn’t looking very good for their casualty to kill ratio. The orks forced the kroot to have to move to regain coherency, messing up their sniper shots, for a second turn.

Turn 3A

The tau cleaned up on their left flank, leaving the orks with no way to secure the river objective. The imperial guard valiantly stood their ground and prepared for the inevitable Orkish assaults on the right flank.

Turn 3B

Ork bikes drove up and engaged the Imperial Guard that took the middle bunker. The Ard boyz assaulted a command squad. The deff koptas took out another Chimera. The Wartrukk orks engaged and destroyed two squads of imperial guard in a disorganized charge, but their numbers suffered greatly.

In the end, the orks only had two troop choices left with no way to really score enough VPs before the end of the game, we called it, the etheral safe and sound on the left flank and our warlord, my cadre fireblade, safe behind a couple of other units.

Lessons learned:

The Nob squad having to depart the heavy Battlewagon so early was a major disaster for the ork army. If the nobs had been able to stay on board for one or two more turns and drive up into the Tau squads, it would have been a disaster for the Tau.

Ork artillery needs to be used in a unit and with a Runtherd or stowed far out of harm’s way.

Firewarriors with a Cadre and a nearby Ethereal is devastating.

Hammerheads and Leman Russ are really really tough to take out.

Ard boys are not too bad for the points, especially in a full size unit of 30.

Orks should disorganized charge more than one unit, if possible so that they can stay “stuck in” during the opponent turn, or wipe out two units.

Kroot snipers continue to be disappointing.

Battlesuits are not required for Tau to be good now that the Cadre Fireblade exists.

Markerlights again prove to be the best Tau weapon.

Book Review: Rogue Spartan by Matt James

A tale of a nerdy hacker that gets the guts and support to try and save the world.

I can identify with a nerdy computer whiz that also seems to have a natural ability to make friends and get into trouble. Felix is a fun little character in the book that I really enjoyed and that pulled my gothier rebel against society side in.

The end did have a couple of nice little surprises that I hadn’t predicted.

I would have liked to see the plot not progress quite as quickly, or would have liked to hear more about Ben, the main character, and his past.

There were a few moments that got confusing by having the wrong character name. There were a few words that were not misspelled but were the wrong words. So, I’d say, the book could have used some more editing, but it wasn’t enough to lose the message. Its common for self published works to have these sorts of issues.

Movie Review: Star Trek, Into Darkness

Again, let me just say in a concise statement, the 3d elements of the movie were not noteworthy, as usual. Its just a way to make people pay more to see a movie.

When I first walked out of the theater, I was pretty darn happy. The movie entertained me and I smiled and had a grand cheer like it was Christmas, or post Christmas present playing time.

As I drove home though, things really started to tick in my head about the movie. The beginning of the movie was quite exciting, and may have actually been one of my favorite parts of the movie. It was fun and visually stunning. We got a quick reintroduction of the characters and their attitudes and traits.

Even the bits after the first segment were great, but I just felt the movie’s excitement and mystery unraveling quickly. Benedict Cumberbatch had a great performance, Chris Pine continues to annoy me, and Spock was Spock. The plot twists got kind of predictable to the point that it made me feel like the characters in the movie should have seen the things coming.

My biggest gripe about the movie is that there isn’t really any advancement of the characters or an overall story to speak of. I think it would have been pretty exciting if the movie ended with a war starting (I’ll say no more to prevent spoilers). The ending was a nice little shout out to Star Trek fans and I guess a way to pull them away from all the politics of the first two movies.

Maybe the main problem with this movie is that it was a sequel to a movie that really stood apart from a lot of movies, not just in sci-fi but even in general. I have watched the first one a number of times and I always get these feelings of butterflies in my stomach from the epicness.

I’d say that its worth a watch, but I’d probably rather just watch it for free some time. It is a movie with lots of good effects, so still could be fun to watch in the theater, but don’t expect to be blown away.

Fan service anyone? Or should I say not Star Trek fan draw segment anyone?

Austin Grill: Alexandria… TexMex?

I went out to a Sunday evening dinner to shake off a head ache and spend some time with the roomie. She was hankering for some Mexican food and I couldn’t remember the other place somebody told me about and she likes Austin Grill.

So, there we are.

We sit down at a table promptly and get chips and salsa just about right away. We waited and waited. We watched a girl come in and be seated. We watched her get her drink order. I tagged the guy that brought our chips that no waiter had showed up. We watched the lady that sat after us get her food. Our server showed up with no apologies. He got us waters and we waited for our margaritas. The margaritas were good but he failed to try to explain how much more the “large” margarita was than the standard one (from $8 to $15). Our guacamole arrived and it seemed rather large for the “small” size we’d asked for. We thought maybe he was just giving us a little something extra since we’d sat for so damn long.

The food was actually pretty good. The beans and rice were as bland as they are when I go to any Mexican restaurant. I still have yet to find them good outside my own kitchen. I got the Al Carbon Tacos and they were totally yum with very tender meat. My roommate got fish tacos, which she liked (but I didn’t want them because they had mayo on them for some strange reason).

We were a little surprised when we got the bill and saw how much the up charge for the margarita was (which he was sort of pressuring us into ordering) and that we had been charged for the large guacamole.

I’d go back, especially with no other walkable Mexican options near Old Town Alexandria that I know of. I would just hope to get a different server.

What’s a Memory Worth?

Blood leaks from the numerous fresh holes in my side, a breathless gasp my only relief. I roll to behind the thick piece of concrete that used to be the second story ceiling of an office building.

I should know better, but reflexes dictate reaching down to grasp at my fresh wound. Upon the instant of my hand contacting the wound, I regret it as could have been predicted. The needles protrude out of my flesh just enough that a stabbing sensation pierces each of my fingers. Needlers are the worst damned inhuman weapons, I think to myself again as I scream out a list of obscenities as long as the thirty inch blade I hold in my other hand.

I look up to the ledge that had been formed by the piece of rubble I now hid behind. Another needler round smacked against the concrete, those rounds couldn’t pierce shit for armor or debris, so in that I am quite lucky. I time between that shot and the next one and try to judge the distance up to the ledge. I’d definitely have to leap off of the top of the debris if I’d have any chance to grab onto the ledge and pull myself up. I’d only have about 5 seconds to do so if the rate of fire kept up.

As the needler peppers the concrete again, I leap into action. I bend at the knees and give myself a good push off to leap up to the top of the debris. The shock and the recent blood loss, something needlers are known for causing, have gotten to me much more than I could have anticipated. I barely lift off of the ground and rather than stepping up onto the debris, I find my chest strewn across it.

She is in trouble and I need to act quickly if I am going to save her. She is more important than my life now. Without her, what do I have left. I hear the man snicker as he starts walking closer to my position, casually, getting ready for the killing shot.

My vision gets blurry and…

My fingers are locked in with hers as we walk down the city street, each street lamp illuminating her beauty with each few steps into and out of their shining strength. Her smile is magical as I laugh together and swing our arms more exaggerated than we need to match the pace of our walking. This is what I do, I both laugh as I do these things together that others would perhaps shake their head at. Of course, it does help that we’ve just polished off a bottle of Champagne at the somewhat fancy restaurant on the corner.

It is hard to describe my feelings, only that I know that after this walk and after this moment, I will pine for it to come again. It is the sincerest form of flattery I can give. The excitement that comes with the next plan, the next engagement, is the excitement that I live for.

We stop our walk and take purchase on a comfortable bench. I’m not sure who suggested it, but it doesn’t matter. I look into her eyes as she looks into mine. We sit there, our fingers affectionately rubbing each others hands, staring into the deep wells of each others eyes. The long moment of beautiful silence ends with a capstone that I could have died for…

And perhaps I will die for that moment. My vision returns to the present…

I look up at the smiling man who has been hunting me. His smirk is covered somewhat by the smears of grime from the many hard days he has tracked me down through this wasted landscape.

I feel pretty helpless as more of my blood spills out and I could quite easily expire here, maybe even without the final kill shot to my head. I have something to live for, I need to move… for her!

I sit up and look over at him. That damn smirk still writes victory all over his face. “Its about time. You’re elusive, but nobody outruns Frax.”

I breathe in a deep breath and exhale it heavily as I look over at him, “Really? You’re going to address yourself in the third person. That really pisses me off.”

He levels the needler at my head, “You won’t have to worry about that any…”

“Mums the word, Frax. Now go to hell!” I flop to the ground from the top of the debris, knocking the wind out of me and losing my sword. That’s alright though, I didn’t have the strength to swing it. I stab him through the top of his boot with the needles I pulled out of my own wound.

He screams in pain as he reflexively reaches down to grab at his foot. This puts his face within striking distance as I pull one of the needles that I still have a grip on out of his boot and jab it right into the area between the bridge of his nose and his eyeball. The spot must hit a pressure point as fluids and blood fire out of the corner of his eyes.

He goes to the ground and I go for the needler. He’s too stunned to even fight for it as I pry it from his fingers. His hands go to his face and this doesn’t save him from the needles as I pull the trigger and his fingers and lower face take an explosion of needle rounds.

I don’t have any more time to deal with him. I get up, tenderly, and start to shuffle in the direction I’d been trying to go.

I hear the sounds of his back up rolling in with their vehicles and dive into the rubble. They’ll have to come on foot to get me. I feel out the wind to determine which way it is blowing and starting running in that direction.

“I’ve got to… save her.” I hear the vehicles halt as I get to the street corner. I look out and amongst all the other loose paper, stone, and debris I spot the target of my rescue.

I run into the street without any concern for the vehicles or the people in them. My life doesn’t matter as long as I have her. I grab out for the crumpled paper that rolls down the street from the harsh wind.

As I pull the corners to straighten the picture, I sigh in relief as I look upon her face, there on the photograph. The last thing I have to remember her by. Damn wind blew it right off of the bin I’d set it on back at my lookout spot.

The sound of gunfire and screaming men close in around me. I’m going to be okay now. I look into the deep wells of her eyes and as I go to leave, the picture crumples in my hand as I prepare to run and get a death grip on her.

Movie Review: Iron Man Three

I saw Iron Man Three during the week last week in an almost empty theater. I find it shocking as to how much money these movies are taking in, and yet, every time I go to the theater to see them, it is empty.

That’s not for me to figure out, but I think that some of these movies are probably making so much more money because the 3d showing ticket prices are so skewed. I continue to be unimpressed by 3d films, maybe Avatar was worth it, but none since then. I only have been going to 3d showings because the times were more convenient (I smell conspiracy, pee-you).

Enough ranting on 3d movies.

Iron Man Three was an entertaining film, and maybe the best new film I’ve seen in a while.

The effects were amazing, of course. I really love the simple stuff that shows just how high tech and advanced Tony Stark’s stuff is. Just his holographic displays make me really get into the character (and those are not extremely flashy action effects).

Favreau really does a good job with making the movie have serious moments and still lots of light heartedness. After all, it is a comic book movie. This is sort of the counterpoint to the new Batman movies to me. Batman takes itself really seriously, which is a fresh play on super hero movies and probably couldn’t work with many others. The Iron Man series has less goof than Spiderman, but still enough for that comic feel.

Tony Stark was a lot more identifiable in this movie from a normal human being perspective. I was worried, earlier in the movie, that RDJ would not have the witty dialogue and banter that we have grown accustomed to, but the balance between a normal person with problems and the witty rich guy bounced back and forth really well.

I recommend seeing this movie in theaters, but skip the 3d version, it was only interesting in probably two short sequences.