Micro-blogging is making me lazy.
It's been absolutely ages since I posted in here. The fact is, Facebook is making me lazy. When I can just post some random cryptic sentence or selection of song lyrics in my status box on Facebook, the idea of sitting down here and writing an entire paragraph (or more) just seems like hard work - and I hate the fact that I feel like that.
This is a place where I can compose my thoughts and really go into detail about how I feel about certain subjects, and I think it's much more worthwhile posting fully formed thoughts here than just random, cryptic crap on Facebook. Indeed some folks have taken to simply transmitting their 'Tweets' to their LJ in place of actually posting coherent thoughts.
Of course the other thing is, just about everyone I know, indeed, just about everyone I've ever met reads my random crap on Facebook whereas here, it's just a small selection of friends who can be bothered to have an LJ themselves.
I've been thinking about posting this for a couple of weeks (but it just seemed too much like hard work) and by staggering galactic coincidence K_Matic posted pretty much the same sentiment the other day. LJ, indeed non-professional blogging is dying and probably for the reasons I mentioned above.
It's a shame but there's nothing I can do about it. Ah well, it was fun whilst it lasted (when I could be bothered).
In the mean time, I really must pull my finger out and post more often and with greater volume.
So then, a brief update. The Lovecraftian fad has worn off. I've read some stories, listened to some podcasts, played half way through 'Dark Corners of the Earth' and briefly considered running the RPG. That's quite enough of Mr Lovecraft for now, particularly as, to be honest, he's really not that great a writer. There, I've said it. Much like George Lucas, he created a fantastic universe for other people to play in, but when it comes to realising that universe himself, he's really not that good at it.
I did, however manage to produce something fun from it and that is the 28mm scale Elder Thing and some investigators. You can click on the picture below to link to the PDF file.
Now I am gripped by Space:1889 madness and am manufacturing paper miniatures of both people, creatures and a 28mm scale Aphid Gunship for use when Pinnacle Entertainment finally release their Savage Worlds, 'Space:1889 - Red Sands' Plot Point Campaign. I'm also reading through the first John Carter novel, A Princess of Mars. It's quite racy stuff considering the time it was written, people running about naked. It even contains a chapter called 'Lovemaking on Mars' - The humanity! I feel quite scandalised!
Talking of Roleplaying, I was listening to Yog Radio the other day and it was a discussion held at Birmingham Games Expo a couple of years ago (the same subject came up in one of their other
casts aswell).
The topic of the future of roleplaying came up and there was great concern as to how to get youngsters involved in the hobby. How to get new players interested. What can we do? How will the hobby survive?
One person present suggested that roleplaying was a 'blip'. That it would only last as long as the current players lasted. This sounded quite profound and insightful until you look at it head on and realise that it's stating the bleeding obvious. It's true of anything. Absolutely any hobby or industry for that matter will only last as long as the participants are interest in it.
What I don't understand is what the problem is? If you want to roleplay, then roleplay. The hobby only needs to last as long as you are interested in it. Why do you feel the need to evangelise? To convert to the cause like some crusading gamer mormon? If you can get other people interested, then great but I don't see that it's a matter of utmost urgency.
I don't understand.
Ah well, I think that'll do for this particular update. Hopefully I can eschew Facebook in favour of a more erudite output. Time will tell, I guess.
Wayne
This is a place where I can compose my thoughts and really go into detail about how I feel about certain subjects, and I think it's much more worthwhile posting fully formed thoughts here than just random, cryptic crap on Facebook. Indeed some folks have taken to simply transmitting their 'Tweets' to their LJ in place of actually posting coherent thoughts.
Of course the other thing is, just about everyone I know, indeed, just about everyone I've ever met reads my random crap on Facebook whereas here, it's just a small selection of friends who can be bothered to have an LJ themselves.
I've been thinking about posting this for a couple of weeks (but it just seemed too much like hard work) and by staggering galactic coincidence K_Matic posted pretty much the same sentiment the other day. LJ, indeed non-professional blogging is dying and probably for the reasons I mentioned above.
It's a shame but there's nothing I can do about it. Ah well, it was fun whilst it lasted (when I could be bothered).
In the mean time, I really must pull my finger out and post more often and with greater volume.
So then, a brief update. The Lovecraftian fad has worn off. I've read some stories, listened to some podcasts, played half way through 'Dark Corners of the Earth' and briefly considered running the RPG. That's quite enough of Mr Lovecraft for now, particularly as, to be honest, he's really not that great a writer. There, I've said it. Much like George Lucas, he created a fantastic universe for other people to play in, but when it comes to realising that universe himself, he's really not that good at it.
I did, however manage to produce something fun from it and that is the 28mm scale Elder Thing and some investigators. You can click on the picture below to link to the PDF file.
Now I am gripped by Space:1889 madness and am manufacturing paper miniatures of both people, creatures and a 28mm scale Aphid Gunship for use when Pinnacle Entertainment finally release their Savage Worlds, 'Space:1889 - Red Sands' Plot Point Campaign. I'm also reading through the first John Carter novel, A Princess of Mars. It's quite racy stuff considering the time it was written, people running about naked. It even contains a chapter called 'Lovemaking on Mars' - The humanity! I feel quite scandalised!
Talking of Roleplaying, I was listening to Yog Radio the other day and it was a discussion held at Birmingham Games Expo a couple of years ago (the same subject came up in one of their other
casts aswell).
The topic of the future of roleplaying came up and there was great concern as to how to get youngsters involved in the hobby. How to get new players interested. What can we do? How will the hobby survive?
One person present suggested that roleplaying was a 'blip'. That it would only last as long as the current players lasted. This sounded quite profound and insightful until you look at it head on and realise that it's stating the bleeding obvious. It's true of anything. Absolutely any hobby or industry for that matter will only last as long as the participants are interest in it.
What I don't understand is what the problem is? If you want to roleplay, then roleplay. The hobby only needs to last as long as you are interested in it. Why do you feel the need to evangelise? To convert to the cause like some crusading gamer mormon? If you can get other people interested, then great but I don't see that it's a matter of utmost urgency.
I don't understand.
Ah well, I think that'll do for this particular update. Hopefully I can eschew Facebook in favour of a more erudite output. Time will tell, I guess.
Wayne