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Below are the 10 most recent journal entries recorded in the "James Bowman" journal:[<< Previous 10 entries]
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01:53 am
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On the future of the tabletop RPG
http://www.enworld.org/forum/news/315800-4-hours-w-rsd-escapist-bonus-column.html
Rather pessimistic for the most part, but informative and interesting.
I wonder how the announcement of a fifth edition of D&D - an edition designed to re-unify the D&D community - changes things, though?
Tags: role-playing games
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03:35 am
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MAGFest 2012 brief journal
The MAGFest crowd this year included myself, my brother Jack, and my friends Randy, John, and Juan (who joined us Friday).
Various bits:
- One of the pinball games they had in their expanded game room was the Doctor Who pinball game, from 1992. The last time I'd seen that game was (of all places) the Jerry's Subs and Pizza in Laurel. (As Doctor Who was largely unknown in the U.S. mainstream in the 1990s, I assume Jerry's must have acquired it as a cheaper choice.) I spent a great deal of time playing this, and I'd almost be interested in buying the game to keep... except for the price ($1800+)... and the space issues... and the maintenance issues...
- On Thursday and Friday, someone set up a modded Wii with "CustomSmash", a modded version of Super Smash Bros. Brawl with various model-swaps of the characters (such as a Solid Snake that looked like Conan O'Brien) and custom stages (such as a Tetris stage). Played it on Thursday, it was amusing and fun. (I didn't get a chance on Friday, and I don't think he had it running as long.)
- As usual, we set up MUGEN on Friday (John's) and Saturday (Jack's). John's was only up for a short period, unfortunately - first, we had trouble finding a monitor we could connect to (John didn't have an adapter for connecting to older-model TVs, which comprised most of the available screens), and second, we had to shut down early due to overburdened power cables. (In fact, they had to shut down a large chunk of the console games overnight for that reason - reportedly, the power cable they used was burning!) Jack's benefited from a better location and no power shutdown; Shaq and Ronald McDonald were probably the most popular characters.
- There seemed to be some sort of incident involving the game-room staff on Friday night that had them in a tizzy, but we never quite found out what it was.
- I stayed up overnight in the game room on Friday with Randy and Jack (because I could), which had the benefit of giving us access to some of the more popular games. (It was marred somewhat by a DJ in the console games area who was playing very loud music, but they stopped by Saturday morning.) Jack was king of the hill for a while as Dan in Street Fighter Alpha 3 (against Randy and I), until he was finally defeated by another player who felt the need to end Dan's reign of terror and restore the natural order of things.
- Picked up more merchandise this year, including an 8-bit Darkwing Duck stand-up, two Game Boy games (Super Mario Land and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of the Foot Clan), three Transformers Gum figurines (Jetfire, Prowl, and Ultra Magnus), a T-shirt with the phrase "POP CULTURE REFERENCE", and two CDs (Inverse Phase's Guilty Gear chiptune album and the soundtrack for Halo Legends). Jack also bought me CDs from the game music cover bands Bit Brigade and Random Encounter.
- Saw several people demoing games they'd created. In particular, a 1980s-styled game called Saturday Morning RPG looked cool, but alas, it's aimed at mobile platforms and I have no smartphone (although I think the guy said they may do a release on Steam in the future).
- Jack and Juan dressed up as the main characters from Army of Two for much of Friday, and were fairly well-received. Randy alternated between three costumes - Spike from Buffy, the Dread Pirate Roberts, and Wesker (which he wore the most).
- Jack, Randy and I didn't leave until 4 pm on Sunday, which - coincidentally - was when the game room closed down.
Differences from last year:
- This was MAGFest's first year at the Gaylord National. I think it worked out quite well - the hotel is very nice, the service was overall pretty good, and theremote-but-not-isolated location is charming. I look forward to going back to this hotel in subsequent years.
- Attendance seemed lower, more comparable to 2010 than 2011, but still healthy. The pre-reg line on Thursday only took about 15-20 minutes, as opposed to last year's two hours. (That was also where we heard our first Colossus roar of the con - though that meme was not as widely echoed this year compared to 2011.)
- MAGFest expanded into some of the newly available space - larger game room, larger dealer's room with more vendors, larger tabletop area, and much more general lounging space. That said, it still seemed slightly small for the space it was in, so there's definite room for expansion in the future.
- The expanded game room had a great initial spread of games, especially the arcade and pinball games (where I spent much of my time). However, I would have appreciated more willingness to switch out little-played games, and much more willingness to expand the number of available consoles/screens for certain particularly popular games, such as UMvC3. We also lost the quiet side room from previous years, but I don't suspect we'd had it on purpose in the first place (it was just another room to put games in).
- There were a lot more cosplayers than previous years, and overall they were well done. John took a decent number of pictures, but I didn't - next year, though, I'll be ready for the picture hunt.
- Domino's took quite a while to deliver pizzas, something like an hour (apparently, they preferred to consolidate lots of orders together into one delivery). Boli's was better for that, if also a little slow.
Games I played:
- Arcade: Ikari III, Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (one cabinet had issues with down-left), Tetris (first-player joystick tended to move to the left), Missile Command (the button for the right-hand base didn't work), Marvel vs. Capcom, Mortal Kombat 3, Battlezone (could only turn to right), Dead or Alive 2 (I figured, what the heck, why not), Killer Instinct 2, Asteroids, Cruis'n Exotica, Street Fighter Alpha 3 (Versus City), Sega Super GT, Mortal Kombat (reset during match), Mortal Kombat II, Garou: Mark of the Wolves (Neo Geo arcade cabinet), Nibbler.
- Atari 2600 (Atari Flashback 2): Outlaw, Battlezone, Hangman, Haunted House, Wizard, Arcade Pong, Space Duel.
- NES: Pro Wrestling (Playchoice).
- Atari Jaguar: Raiden.
- Sega Dreamcast: Street Fighter III, Power Stone.
- Xbox 360: Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition (in largely abandoned dealer's room Friday-Saturday overnight).
- Playstation 3: BlazBlue: Continuum Shift, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3, King of Fighters XIII, Tekken 6.
Tags: con journals, conventions, games, magfest
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10:14 pm
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2011 in film
Of 2011 films, I saw...
In theaters:
Thor (4/5)
Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (3/5)
X-Men: First Class (4/5)
Green Lantern (3/5)
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II (4/5)
Captain America: The First Avenger (4/5)
Cowboys and Aliens (4/5)
Rise of the Planet of the Apes (5/5)
On DVD:
The Eagle (3/5)
Unknown (4/5)
The Adjustment Bureau (4/5)
Rango (4/5)
Battle: Los Angeles (3/5)
Limitless (4/5)
Paul (4/5)
Source Code (3/5)
Dylan Dog: Dead of Night (3/5)
Priest (3/5)
Conan the Barbarian (3/5)
Direct-to-DVD:
All-Star Superman (4/5)
Thor: Tales of Asgard (4/5)
Green Lantern: Emerald Knights (4/5)
Average rating for this year: 81/110 (73.6%, or 3.68/5)
Some notes:
- To my surprise, I came close to watching as many movies in the theater in 2011 as I watched on DVD.
- Harry Potter, X-Men: First Class, and Unknown were all "A-/B+" movies in my book, but of 2011 movies I'd watched as of Jan. 1, only Rise of the Planet of Apes qualified as a full 5/5 in my book. Make of that what you will.
- Cowboys and Aliens is at the low end of my 4/5 rating ("B-/C+", if you will).
- I feel like I should rate Priest and Conan lower, but I'm not. Priest was definitely the weakest of the films I watched this year, though.
- As of this writing (January 10), I have watched two more 2011 films since my January 1 cut-off - Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (4/5, in theaters, Jan. 2) and Super 8 (4/5, on DVD, Jan. 9).
Comparing to previous years:
- By Jan. 1, 2008, I saw 22 out of 2007's films, with a rating of 78/110 (70.9%, or 3.55/5). 21 were theatrical releases, one was direct-to-DVD. I waited for the DVD version of 12 of the theatrical releases, and watched one on pay-per-view.
- By Jan. 1, 2009, I saw 17 out of 2008's films, with a rating of 63/85 (74.1%, or 3.71/5). 15 were theatrical releases, two were direct-to-DVD. I waited for the DVD version of nine of the theatrical releases.
- By Jan. 1, 2010, I saw 19 out of 2009's films, with a rating of 68/95 (71.6%, or 3.58/5). 15 were theatrical releases, four were direct-to-DVD. I waited for the DVD version of seven of the theatrical releases.
- By Jan. 1, 2011, I saw 25 out of 2010's films, with a rating of 89/125 (71.2%, or 3.56/5). 21 were theatrical releases, four were direct-to-DVD. I waited for the DVD version of 16 of the theatrical releases, and watched one via on-demand.
- By Jan. 1, 2012, I saw 22 out of 2011's films, with a rating of 81/110 (73.6%, or 3.68/5). 19 were theatrical releases, three were direct-to-DVD. I waited for the DVD version of 11 of the theatrical releases.
Tags: dvd, movies, reviews
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09:52 pm
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Books I read in December 2011
Tangent Comics Volume 2, by Dan Jurgens et al, 4.5/5
Tangent Comics Volume 3, by Dan Jurgens et al, 4/5
The Walking Dead Survivor's Guide, by Tim Daniel and Robert Kirkman, 4/5
Doctor Who: Agent Provocateur, by Gary Russell, 3.5/5
The Official Handbook of the Gold Digger Universe Sourcebook, by Doug Dlin and Fred Perry, 4/5
Tags: books, reviews
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04:58 pm
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Christmas 2011
Christmas Eve was fairly relaxing - just hung out at my family's place with friends, playing various Xbox and Wii video games. We also had a simple but delicious dinner of meats, cheeses, crackers, and bread.
This year's Christmas haul:
- DC Comics: The Ultimate Character Guide (book)
- Batman: Under the Red Hood (DVD)
- Captain N and the New Super Mario World (DVD)
- Doctor Who Eleventh Doctor's Sonic Screwdriver
- Doctor Who Encyclopedia (book)
- Doctor Who: Inferno (DVD)
- Transformers Japanese Collection: Headmasters (DVD)
- Doctor Who: The Black Guardian Trilogy (DVD)
- Doctor Who: The Key to Time - Special Edition (DVD)
- Transformers Masterpiece Rodimus Prime
- Card with cash
- Lottery tickets (got $7.00)
- Various chocolates, including a chocolate M1911 pistol
Tags: christmas
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08:23 pm
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Another wacky MvC3 prediction
So, the Vita version of UMvC3 has various features not in the console version, such as saving replays. And people are still cranky that Mega Man (and others) were left out of the updated game. And the roster is still six short of matching the classic MvC2. And there are balance changes fans are requesting, such as toning down Wesker. And Capcom's other most successful fighting game of recent times, Street Fighter IV, was first replaced by Super Street Fighter IV, then updated with a patch to Super Street Fighter IV Arcade Edition.
In light of all that, here's my prediction - sometime late next year or in 2013, we will get an upgrade patch for UMvC3. What it will be called, I don't know, but I expect it will have the following:
- Most or all of the features added to the Vita version.
- Six new characters, probably including Mega Man.
- Balance changes, probably including nerfs for Wesker.
I'm sure this prediction will fare as well as my previous MvC3 predictions.
Tags: crossovers, games, marvel comics
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08:14 pm
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Books I read in November 2011
Essential Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe - Master Edition Volume 1, by various, 3.5/5
The Brave and the Bold Volume 1: The Lords of Luck, by Mark Waid, 4.5/5
Journey to the Centre of the Earth, by Jules Verne, 4.5/5
Sluggy Freelance: Little Evils, by Pete Abrams, 4.5/5
The Brave and the Bold Volume 3: Demons and Dragons, by Mark Waid et al, 4/5
The Brave and the Bold Volume 4: Without Sin, by Marv Wolfman and David Hine, 4.5/5
The Brave and the Bold: Milestone, by various, 4/5
Fairy Tail Volume 16, by Hiro Mashima, 4.5/5
Tangent Comics Volume 1, by Dan Jurgens et al, 4.5/5
Bonus! A broad idea of what my ratings mean:
5 - I loved it! (Excellent, A+, etc.)
4.5 - I liked it a lot! (Great, A, etc.)
4 - I liked it. (Good, B, etc.)
3.5 - I almost liked it. (Decent, B- or C+, etc.)
3 - I was unimpressed. (Mediocre, C or C-, etc.)
2 - I didn't like it. (Bad, D, etc.)
1 - I hated it. (Terrible, E, etc.)
Obviously, this could be better expressed by a 7-point scale, but my ratings are shaped by LibraryThing's system...
Tags: books, reviews
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10:26 pm
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Books-A-Million must be run by ninjas
Since the demise of Borders, I've been trying to find a replacement go-to bookstore. I tried a few options - the Barnes and Noble in Ellicott City, the B&N in Bowie, and the Books-A-Million in Laurel - but none of these really satisfied.
So yesterday, since I was already eating out with my folks, I suggested we hit the Books-A-Million in Arundel Mills (reasoning that it would be the last time this year we could hit Arundel Mills and avoid Christmas shopping). Mom agreed, but only after I checked the hours, so accordingly I went to the BAM web site to do so. I looked up the nearest locations, and was surprised to see there was a new Books-A-Million in Columbia! Turns out, in fact, that this BAM had taken over the old Borders location and converted it. Now, I'd heard this was proposed when Borders was in its death-throes, but I thought the deal had fallen through. I dunno when they moved in (I sure hadn't seen any advertising or articles on the subject), but there they were.
Ultimately, we went there instead of Arundel Mills, and although it's still no Borders, it's a more than satisfactory replacement. I suspect we're not the only ones surprised to see it, though, judging from the lack of crowds when we visited... I hope they'll promote themselves a bit ahead of Black Friday and whatnot.
Tags: books
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08:28 am
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Now there's an alternate history
Linked from the comments in the previous post... Supposedly, in 1984, Marvel Comics came close to taking over DC's stable of characters.
Edit: Hm, maybe not quite so momentous an alternative, at least at first. The author of the post clarified in one of the comments that the deal would have kept the universes separate, though he also hinted that might not have remained the case in the long-term. (Personally, I don't see how they could have resisted a lot of crossing over, at minimum.) Still would have really changed comics history regardless.
Tags: comics, dc comics, marvel comics
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08:10 am
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On the economics of comics
Very involved read, but interesting: http://www.vonallan.com/2011/08/minimum-wage-and-prices-of-comics.html
Tags: comics
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