Tanquam Explorator

CHAMPIONS ONLINE

Sat, 03 Oct 2009 19:03:06 GMT

I've got a spare 14-day preview code, so if you're interested in Champions Online but wanted to check it out first drop me a note. C'mon, it's a game where Foxbat is a character!

SWASHBUCKLERS OF THE 7 SPHERES

Thu, 16 Apr 2009 04:43:28 GMT

I've got a game wiki up for the new game. It's coming along nicely.

YOU GOT REGENCY IN MY SWASHBUCKLING!

Tue, 14 Apr 2009 01:27:43 GMT

Ever since I read Larklight I’ve been thinking what an excellent game setting it would make. And when Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies was finally available after much anticipation, I realized what an excellent system it would be for just the kind of space adventure game I wanted to run. Not in the Larklight setting exactly, it was too settled and orderly – too British colonial. But push it back one or two centuries, to a time when the Great Powers were fighting over control of space in their wooden aetherships, and it makes a perfect setting for swashbuckling space action!

My original idea was to set it around 1660, during the Restoration, with the remnants of the Commonwealth fled into space, and England, France and Spain fighting for supremacy (the Spanish Empire rejuvenated due to their discovery of the secret of flying ships in the pyramids of Mesoamerica, and now fed by the river of red gold flowing from Mars in the Black Aetherships).

The game name would be Swashbucklers of the 7 Spheres.

However, I let the invited players know that the exact setting was up for negotiation. And Ladypeers immediately started agitating for a much later setting that I had envisioned. Regency era, in fact.

This definitely wasn’t what I had in mind. Swashbuckling is the last thing I think of when I think of Jane Austen. But Ladypeers, who once wrote a skit called “Lizzy Bennett the Vampire Slayer,” is a much more clever person than I am. And she pointed out that the Hornblower series is a smashing bit of swashbuckling adventure.

Hmm. She has a point. I have to think about this. After all, we all know where the idea of “Hornblower in Space” led, don’t we?

Well, That Was A Waste...

Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:47:19 GMT

I've spent the last three hours trying to revive LadyPeers' computer, and HP tech support and I have finally agreed that it doesn't seem as though it will be coming back from its coma. Wonder if we can save any of the last two years worth of PEERS data that hasn't been backed up...?

Coolest Game EVER!

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 06:29:33 GMT

Swashbucklers of the 7 Skies is avaliable for preorder.

Swashbuckling adventure on airships sailing between continents floating in the sky. Really, what more needs to be said?

A Gaming Wiki

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 01:44:17 GMT

I'm looking at setting up a wiki for a game, and I'd like advice from the experts out there on how to do it. Keep in mind that I've never managed a wiki before, and in fact I've never done more than occasionally make entries in wikis managed by others.

So, any advice?

The Urge to Run A Game Rising...

Wed, 25 Feb 2009 01:52:08 GMT

The world of Larklight would make an amazing campaign setting....

Paradise Lost Rediscovered

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 05:30:47 GMT

My college roommate from oh, so many years ago, now a fancy-pants publisher, is using his blog to do a re-evaluation of Paradise Lost. He wants comments from everyone interested.

http://www.literarypassport.org/

Go, my children. Discussing Milton can be fun!

PEERS Email Down

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 02:51:40 GMT

It appears that email to the PEERS domain has been bouncing all day. Verio doesn't know why, they're looking into it.

Great.

If You Haven't Heard From Us...

Wed, 13 Feb 2008 05:42:40 GMT

ATT seems to have decided that it won't accept email from us. Why, I don't know. I've wasted the entire evening since I got home (let's seem, that's 4 hours now) trying to determine what the problem may be. So, if anyone is wondering why they haven't receive any email from Cathleen or me, that's why.

Back to the data mines.

OLD FRIENDS

Wed, 28 Nov 2007 05:59:45 GMT

My college roommate just sent me the link to his publishing company's blog. It seems only yesterday we were rolling up Traveler characters in the basement of a dorm at Tulane.

WHAT A JOLLY, JOLLY WEEKEND.

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 05:08:18 GMT

I'm absolutely exhausted, but extremely pleased with how everything went at Dickens Fair this weekend. The Pickwick Club was in rare form. Why, when we sang "Stille Nacht" for Her Majesty the Queen, I could swear I saw a tear in the Prince Consort's eye. And if our rendition of "Carry Me Home to Old Virginny" didn't cure Mr Poe of homesickness, then I cannot think of anything that could.

Off to a much needed and well deserved rest now. And I must consider what we can do next weekend, to top this one.

4.2 Yawn

Fri, 20 Jul 2007 17:18:01 GMT

Yes, it woke us up. We lay in bed, and I said, "Not very big." Then something went crash somewhere in the apartment. Neither of us was interested enough to get up to see what it was (turns out one of the shelves in one of the bookcases collapsed. Books fell on top of other books, none of them even fell out of the bookshelf).

The alarm went off 45 minutes later, and we went about our day. Typical jaded Californians.

Our Captain and Crew

Fri, 08 Jun 2007 22:48:12 GMT

Here is a photo of the main cast from last weekend's ball. Thanks to Jayne for the photograph.

Fireflyin'

Thu, 17 May 2007 21:26:30 GMT

We're heading to the Parkway Speakeasy Theater tonight to watch episodes of Firefly on the big screen.

Firefly, pizza, and beer. Now that's a classy evening's entertainment!

A Gaming Entry

Sun, 22 Apr 2007 05:45:54 GMT

For those interested in Truth and Justice, I've posted a description of our latest game session at http://community.livejournal.com/tandj_asmp/

PEERS Schedule

Thu, 08 Mar 2007 05:26:27 GMT

The PEERS Event Schedule has been updated through the end of 2008. Look it over and let us know if there are any questions.

The Coming Weekend

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 17:14:15 GMT

Tonight we're going to Downtown in Berkeley to see Sara and Swingtime (I can't believe there's a Bay Area band who still doesn't have a website!). Tomorrow we're off to the Greater Bay Area Costumer's Guild Queen Elizabeth and the Pirate event. And Sunday we're doing rehearsals for our Merry Widow Waltz Ball.

Actually, this is a rather slow weekend by our standards.

THAT'S MISTER CAPITALIST SWINE TO YOU

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 23:59:01 GMT

The next PEERS event is the Merry Widow Waltz Ball, set in early Twentieth Century Paris. Much to ladypeers' shock, I was not nearly as familiar with the operetta, or either of the movies, as she is, and had no pressing desire to do any particular character.

However, it just occurred to me that the period is perfect to play an American plutocrat, travelling through Europe looking for things to buy. And I've never really cared whether my character choices were especially accessible...

So, I shall be Scarsdale Vibe.

Heh. We'll see if anyone gets it.

HoC Icon

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 05:09:26 GMT

immlass made me a nifty icon for House of Cards posts!

PEERS 2008 Schedule

Tue, 23 Jan 2007 03:28:08 GMT

PEERS had its planning meeting for the 2008 season this weekend, and while we haven’t hammered out all the details (the exact names of the events are still up in the air, for one thing), we do at least have the general theme for each event. So, without further ado, here is the 2008 PEERS Schedule:

January 5, 2008: Victorian 12th Night Ball

February 2, 2008: New Orleans Victorian Mardi Gras Ball

March 1, 2008: Jane Austen Ball

April 5, 2008: Princess Louise’s Debut Ball

May 3, 2008: Chicago Speakeasy Ball

June 7, 2008: Gone With The Wind Ball

July 5, 2008: Wizard of Oz Ball

September 6, 2008: Cirque de Venus – a Venusian Steampunk event

October 4, 2008: Swinging in the Rain

November 1, 2008: Le Bal des Vampires

JOLLY OLD PICKWICK

Tue, 28 Nov 2006 19:41:22 GMT

The first weekend of Dickens Fair was an absolute delight. The Pickwick Club is in rare form this year. I’m quite proud of the lads.

We’re there in the morning to greet the first of the guests as they’re admitted to Fezziwig’s warehouse, and thence it’s on to the streets to wander about a bit, wish everyone we meet a Happy Christmas!, and pause from time to time to sing a cheery song or three.

We’ve been thrown out of the Adventurers’ Club for singling too loudly during Contemplation Hour, played a jolly game of Minister’s Cat with Mr Lammle, shared many a merry mug of beer with the brave officers of Her Majesty’s Navy (Here’s a toast to the Senior Service! Hoorah!), and had Mr Winkle explain the fine points of the art of fencing to us outside the Corinthian Rose Sporting Club.

Dinner at the Green Man is the high point of our day, an hour spend eating and carousing, singing songs, (several of which we actually know!), and toasting each other and anything else we can think of. We’ve had a few of the stage singers stop by for a little while, and we’ve assured them that we did not expect them to attain our own high standards, for which they were properly grateful. Uriah Heep joined us in a rousing version of "Drunken Sailor," and while we didn’t know quite why he wanted to do something nasty to the poor fellow with a butter knife, we were happy to sing along.

And every day Her Majesty Queen Victoria (Good Save the Queen!) arrives just around the time we end our dinner, and we have been overjoyed to show our patriotism by singing for her. After hearing our version of "Anacreon In Heaven" Her Majesty was heard to remark that she had never in her life heard anything quite like it.

Then we have a little time to wander the streets some more, and perhaps take in a show, before it’s time to throw our support to the Great Race of London, exhorting the crowd to place their bets, helping explain what the race is about, and, in the case of Mr Pickwick, remarking at length upon the fact that Professor Frost’s sister is wearing trousers. Quite shocking, those Americans!

Much excitement as we dash after the racing penny farthings, ending up at Mad Sal’s Dockside Alehouse just in time for the big blowout. What better way to end a day in London?

OUR ENDURING FAME

Wed, 01 Nov 2006 04:21:53 GMT

There's a rather nice little article about PEERS and our upcoming Le Bal des Vampires in our local paper, the Alameda Journal. The on line version doesn't have the pretty pictures, but the text is the same as the print version.

SING, PUPPY, SING!

Fri, 27 Oct 2006 20:09:09 GMT

Dickens Fair is almost upon us, and the members of the Pickwick Club are dusting off our hats, limbering up our drinking hands, and musing over the vital question of which songs to sing while engaged in the practice of imbibition. Suggestions of favourite drinking songs shall be greeted with cries of cheerful acclamation.

Stuff from PEERS, what you can buy and all.

Thu, 19 Oct 2006 21:52:06 GMT

The PEERS store is now open. Pass the word along, if you want to buy stuff branded with the PEERS logo, this is the place to get it.

And don't forget the flagship item, the PEERS Pre-Code Hollywood Calendar for 2007.

Much thankyness to chuckmckeithan for his redesign of the PEERS logo!