Author Archives: hermit

Liars, damned liars.

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My late father raised me to respect conservative thought. He insisted that despite ideological differences, Republicans remained just as committed to fair play and the rule of law as the opposition.

Today’s behavior by William Barr – which even Fox News found to be unseemly, and unworthy of the Attorney General’s office – convinces me that there are, in fact, no more honorable people under the Republican banner. Just liars, damned liars, and apologists for wretched, unethical behavior.

And I’m pretty sure, after today, even my late father would agree with me.

Stroopwafel!

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One of the benefits of living in a big city? Grocery stores carry weird and wonderful stuff. This week’s discovery: the stroopwafel, designed to be warmed on top of a steaming mug of tea or coffee. The texture is crumbly rather than crisp. I’m honestly surprised to discover that I prefer breakfast treats, like the stroopwafels, where the sweetness isn’t cloying.

Bad decisions from Bioware?

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I’m not optimistic about the future of Bioware games. I’ve been playing their titles since Baldur’s Gate, and I’ve written about my love for Anthem. But a new article from Jason Schreier over at kotaku.com suggests that there may be a conflict between EA’s demand for games as a live streaming service and players’ hopes for games that are unique and fun. Listen to the details of a game design/prototype:

The goal was to focus as much as possible on choice and consequence, with smaller areas and fewer fetch quests than Dragon Age: Inquisition. … There was an emphasis on “repeat play,” one developer said, noting that they wanted to make areas that changed over time and missions that branched in interesting ways based on your decisions, to the point where you could even get “non-standard game overs” if you followed certain paths.

That sounds like the kind of game I WANT TO PLAY RIGHT NOW! Unfortunately, EA didn’t agree; the iteration of Dragon Age described above has been junked, in favor of something that features a ‘live game service.’ I’m guessing that the EA suits dream of establishing a franchise like World of Warcraft. They aren’t likely to succeed, for a bunch of reasons.

The MMO (Massively Multiplayer Online) market (of which WoW might be the best example) is saturated, and player inertia is firmly on the side of WoW, Diablo and other first movers. The MMO game model itself is well established, but ‘well established’ is another way of saying ‘predictable quest types and player experience.’

I want something innovative… maybe a LMO (Limited Multiplayer Online) experience? A game I could play alone, or with a small group of friends if they happened to be around. I can’t be the only one who finds strangers with experience-shattering names, running around on my screen, to be a detriment rather than a benefit to a game. And I can’t be the only one eager to try something different.

Summing up

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Zero posts in three years! But I’m back. I’ve been busy; lots to share. The trilogy of Northern Arcadia fantasy novels upon which I focused so much time (Witch in Morning, Thief in Long Shadow, and Demon in Darkness) is drafted and theoretically complete, but I’m not sufficiently pleased with the results to market any of them aggressively. Lord, what I’d give for a good editor.

One of my new projects I am ready to share is the Blind Pilot series, short pieces of fiction introducing characters, concepts and settings intended to serve as the foundation for long-running narratives. Pup Detective is a traditional sci-fi crime procedural that explores extreme body modification, alternative family structures and the future that’s waiting for us in the US. One episode (in draft form) is available; I think that’s sufficient to set the stage. Reverie Isle returns to some classic American television from the 70s and 90s, with occasionally hallucinatory results. Multiple episodes (in draft form) are needed to show off the arc I intend for Reverie Isle. I’ll be uploading two here shortly.

I’m also publishing some fan fic, based upon the controversial video game Anthem, and (yes, I’m crazy) a design specifications document for version 2 of Anthem, with which I am not associated. In my defense, I think I’ve hit upon a genius, ground-breaking idea, and when someone else does the same thing I want to be able to point somewhere and say, ‘Dag nabbit, there’s the proof! I had the same idea!’

Like I say, lots to share. Excuse me while I go upload some content.

Complicity and Resistance

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I’m not the only one who sees a pattern emerging in the tweets of the PEOTUS. Faced with damning evidence of his own criminality and bad behavior, he sets off a fake controversy intended to create conflict between liberal elites and the working white class.

Donald Trump is the first PEOTUS in my lifetime to pay $25 Million dollars to settle a fraud case. The first in my life to use the Presidency to advance his own business interests without regard for laws governing conflicts of interest. Donald Trump is the first PEOTUS in my life to have ties to the Russian government, at least according to the Russians themselves.

The SNL and Hamilton “controversies” will not be remembered in ten years. I’m not suggesting people shut up about either. Just the reverse! Mock on, my fellow patriots! Tyrants depend upon fear, and laughter can be a powerful uniter.


But I encourage all those committed to keeping our Constitution safe and resisting the radical right agenda of Steve Bannon and Mike Pence, but somewhat lacking in the funny department (like me), to ask ourselves one question as the controversies swirl.

Is this something most people will care about in two years, when they vote in mid-term elections? Or are we unwittingly complicit in a campaign designed to alienate voters?