A collection of my thoughts about writing, game design, art, music, and the fringe/geek culture that I embrace. I'll try to keep my updates brief, but regular. Oh, and I won't get too deep. :)
The Weekly Update
Return from Thailand
Yesterday, I returned from Thailand. The trip was long, but I enjoyed my time there. I spent a majority of the time in Pattaya, but also managed to make my way over to Chaing Mai (for the "Flight of the Gibbon" adventure) and some time in Bangkok. I didn't concern myself with gaming or dame design the whole time I was there, which was a nice break. But, now that I'm back, it's full speed ahead.
I'm talking to a friend (who is also a professional web designer) about building a more professional site. While I enjoy these updates, they're a bit of a chore and often fall by the wayside. In addition, I think the site could look a lot better. Fire and Ice will be the theme.
Until then, however, this is what we'll have to make due with.
WoW doesn't want to see my project manifest..
I'm taking a step back. I'm breathing.
For weeks, I've been playing WoW (World of Warcraft), grinding to 80 so I could "gear up" and go do some instances that, guess what, yielded more "gear." I don't mind doing it, but it's really kept me away from the more important things (like this site). I don't like my gaming to feel like a chore and, surprise, that's exactly what it's becoming. Damn you WoW! Damn you're stunning graphics! Damn your endless quests! Damn your intensely fun Battle Grounds! Damn you're PVP.
:)
I like the game, I really do. But like social sites, it sucks my life away hour by hour. I must get back to work!
What? Is my server down or something?
I don't host this site myself, so when I get a Error 403 or 404, I'm at a loss. What do you mean you can't find my website or I don't have permission to access it on this server? That just irks me. In a nutshell, this may not be visible for a bit.
Well, I've finished the two articles I'll be submitting to Wayfinder for issue #2 and I can finally get back to focusing on things like the GSS and Rhune.
Early next year, I'm going to likely redesign this site, too. I'll probably enlist the aid of a professional, too. I want this sire to be more visual and far more interactive. I want people to be able to come here and not just follow what I'm doing, but to chat, browse boards, and download the various resources that get contributed. I want it to be so much more.
For now, however, I'll focus on my project!
So maybe I'm a member of far too many social networks?
If you didn't know, you can find me on Facebook (where I spend far too much time), Suicide Girls, Gorgeous Gamers, LiveJournal, the Paizo boards, the Open Design Boards, and occasionally the IK Boards. Really, it's a wonder I have time to write or update this website at all. Social butterfly? Me? Ummm ...yeah. Add a heathy social life locally and it seems like I don't have much time for me. I'll get better.
Really, however, it's about time management (and I've been bad at that this year). I really just need to set some time aside, once a week, to update. I don't know about any of you, but that's going to be a major goal for 2010.
It's sorta hard to believe we're almost there, too. It seemed like all of 09' I was just waiting for the PFRPG to officially release, chomping at the proverbial bit to get my hands dirty with some game design. Now that it's here? I don't have any time!! I'm barely getting a hold on my current projects and those are, even more than this site, a major priority.
So, I'm going to have to buckle in, take a deep breath, and get to work. Who else is going to give you a steam punk driven, runic inspired PFRPG setting for free in August of 2010 if I don't?
~Jaye
Swimming with Dagon
Well, I'm currently involved in a project I can't really talk about, but it promises to be cool. The Lovecraftian elements alone hit all the right buttons for me, which means I've been super-geek excited lately. I've been writing up NPCs (some that may later show up here if we don't use them in project) and the overall process has my creative juices flowing. I've been thinking motivations, traits, talents, and remarkable features - what makes you or I stand out - and how I can translate that to make these NPCs more real, vibrant, and believable.
But that's the sort of GM/Designer I am. I'm not the guy that thinks up the two-headed, 1/2 drow, 1/2 ogre mind mage determined to flood the eastern planes in a sea of fire. I'm a little more subtle. I like my darkness subtle, leaking into over generations, until your corruption is thorough and complete. I want detailed, complex characters with problems not unlike our own. That's what motivates me.
In other news, I've taken up swimming again, and this time with a vengeance. I'm averaging 1 kilometer a day, which is 60 lengths in my 18 meter pool. No easy feat, that I can promise you. It does give me time to think about the things under the waves, though, and this is a good thing....
Oh, and before I forget, happy 9/9/9!!! May the Old Ones from the Ancient Places smile upon thee...
Back from Gen Con, Working
Well, Gen Con was awesome. I spent a lot of time playing games (mostly Paizo's Pathfinder RPG - which is definitely well built) and meeting other designers from places like Open Design. I attended a "Writing for Paizo" seminar, which was informative, too.
All in all, I'll definitely be returning to Gen Con next year. In fact, I hope this site is a shade more popular by the time August 2010 rolls around. I suppose we'll see.
Otherwise, more supplements/writing to come! Soon!!!
233 years of Independence..
Here in the Middle Easy, we didn't have fireworks, nor did everything shut down to celebrate America's birthday. So, my friends and I got together (in true expatriate style), ordered a ton of food, through on some tunes, and drank excellent home-brew. At midnight, when it officially became July 4th (we're GMT +3), we stopped everything, the Americans among us stepped out of the crowd, and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Then we sang Happy Birthday to America. Then we gave the Brits hell, chased them into the ocean, and continued to party.
(Okay, we didn't chase them into the ocean. We like the Brits well enough...)
It was, all in all, a crazy weekend and I got absolutely nothing productive done whatsoever. I wouldn't have changed anything about it.
Now, however, it's back to the grind. Writing, designing, layouts, and a host of small projects all loom ahead, demanding all of my free-time attention. I'm okay with that.
Stock Art for the win...
I was surfing around RPGdriveThru.com early this morning and discovered that several companies offer stock art there. This made me happy. I spent about $50 buying up stock art, some of which I'll use in games (handouts) and some of which I'll use in the Game Support Supplements I'm writing. A lot of it, unfortunately, won't work for my independent super-secret project, but I'll manage.
I'm pretty happy, all things considered. With the constantly evolving database of Illustrator vectors available for purchase, and the designs I'm making, and now this ...well, I'm going to be able to turn out some really professional looking designs and projects. I'm hoping to become a real -always free- resource for the OGL/D20/Pathfinder gaming community.
In other news, I'm in the process of converting several older Word documents to .pdf so I can get some of my writing online. It's going to be a busy summer.
~Jaye
PS ...check out White Wolf's Spring/Summer E-Magazine, Epitaph, for free!
The GSS (Game Support Series) updated
I've been busy tonight, converting more of my files from Word to something presentable in InDesign. GS1 and GS2 are now online, complete with the 1.0 D20 Game License (which I had forgotten initially). I hope to add a few more this week, but I may only get GS3 online. It'll be a nice little edition, though, as it covers an organization, a few Feats, and a small selection of new spells - culled from the darkest corners of the Abyss - for wizards, sorcerers, and hags to debate over.
But for now, that's all I'll say. Until then, Happy Summer Solstice to you and yours!!
Writer's Block
So, I've finally started on a bigger writing project. I'm 8k words into it and guess what, I hit a block. I mean, BAM! All traffic comes to a screeching halt, the characters get real quiet, and the whole set goes silent, hushes in anticipation. I stare at the computer screen.
I surf. I buy videos from iTunes. I drink chocolate soy milk. I look at Home Depot's website and window shop for my rental property (new ceiling fans, a new AC, and new doors). I check Facebook far too mcuh.
But nothing comes. I think about playing WoW, which I haven't touched in nearly 4 months (I prefer productivity to slaving away for gear, armor, and the such), but find I need a gazzillion updates.
Le'Sigh.
I just want to get past this roadblock.
Summer 09
The site is coming along nicely. I'm happy with Sandvox, which means I can focus on more important things, like writing, designing, and so on.