Deep Thought | Zero Fortitude

Scarlet Spider

May 152012

I was looking back at my post about Marvel comics in general and Avengers versus X-Men in particular and realized that I’ve been somewhat harsh on poor Marvel. To that end, I want to tell you about a Marvel comic that I am enjoying and you might like as well.

Scarlet Spider has just recently started over and released issue five last week. It is written by Chris Yost with art by Ryan Stegman. The story follows the exploits of Kaine Parker, one of the Spider-man clones created by the Jackal and discarded as a flawed creation. I had not picked this title up as it was both a marvel book and part of the Spiderman mythology. I had picked up several other marvel titles that had been recommended as good jumping on points and was still left with the feeling that I was missing most of the story. This feeling was doubled when I thought about anything related to Spiderman as his story is long and somewhat convoluted.

It was my friend Edgar who finally convinced me to give Scarlet Spider a chance. I am glad he did as the first issue did an excellent job of communicating an involved back story in a manner that was both exciting and informative. You are quickly shown that Kaine is not the Scarlet Spider that has existed before. He is a clone but due to errors in the process his body was degenerating and was struggling to find some peace in the little time that he had left. It was through the heroic actions of Peter Parker that Kaine was given a second chance at life. With a second chance at life, Kaine is on the run from all the things he has done in the past. He decides to stop running when he is confronted with human traffickers in Houston that have allowed people to die in an box as they argued over money.

The tag line for this title is ” All of the power. None of the responsibility.” Scarlet Spider does an excellent job of fulfilling the promise of a hero that does not fit the Spider-man mold. Instead of an upbeat hero tossing off one-liners in combat, Kaine is brutal and direct. The main conflict for Kaine is becoming his own person instead of becoming a distorted copy of Peter Parker. This theme is ever present and provides for bits of levity. An example of this is when a recurring character says “For Pete’s sake!” in exasperation while dealing with Kaine and his response is please don’t mention him. The artwork also highlights this distinction as well. It is bright and colorful which is what one expects from a Spider-man title but stands in stark contrast to the shadows in which Kaine lives.

A title well worth giving a look. The art is great and the writing is excellent. Since it is on issue five, it is very easy to pick up the current story line and be ready for the new issue next month. What more could you ask for in a comic? If you were looking for a Marvel comic to pick up, you can not go wrong with Scarlet Spider.

Avengers

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May 102012

The summer’s blockbuster season has started with a bang in the form of The Avengers. It released on May Fourth to record breaking numbers and by the time the weekend was over I had seen it three times. I find it only fitting that I put a review of the movie up here.

To say that I enjoyed the movie would be somewhat of an understatement. It had all the things I was looking for in a comic book movie. There was action, character development, humor and all in the right proportions. It was an ensemble piece where each individual’s contribution elevated the production as a whole. It embraces its identity as a comic book movie without talking down to those who may have not read a comic.

One of the things that I enjoyed most about the movie was the humor that was sprinkled throughout. Instead of going for campy and over-the-top style humor It is couched in an softer manner within the character interactions. one of these funny but cool moments occurs between Bruce Banner and Tony Stark. They are having a conversation in a lab on the helicarrier about Banner’s alternate identity. Tony gives Bruce and unexpected electrical shock then tries to look into his eyes and see if there is a change. It is hilarious! It lets off the tension that has been building around Banner’s character since his first appearance on the screen without entirely removing it from mind. These little moments are laced throughout the movie providing just the necessary lightness to allow for the continued building of tension in the film.

The advancement of character is another thing that kept me glued to the story. The strongest progression is seen for Stark and Banner. The audience gets to watch as Tony takes on a mentor role with Bruce Banner throughout the story. We get to see that Bruce keeps himself aloof due to the Hulk and where Tony is trying to show him that by embracing the Hulk that he will be much happier and have greater control from doing it. To a lesser degree, we get these moments for each of the main characters in the movie and seeing their maturation lends greater weight to the narrative. This character progression is also made easier by the ensemble nature of the film. Having all these characters in one spot forces each of their own personal issues to the foreground where they have to be dealt with before they can function as a team. Unlike the X-Men movies, Each individual character shines without overwhelming the other actors in the scene. You never get the feeling in the film that anyone is trying to control the spotlight, but instead they all seem to be working to create a better experience.

In the end, I can not recommend this movie enough. It has plenty of comic book references for us geeks. It has enough star power to appeal to the rest of the world. All of this is supported by great writing, direction, and cinematography to create a wonderful theater-going experience. Go see it and remember to stay through to the end of all the credits.

Avengers versus X-Men

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May 032012

First, allow me to apologize. If you read my post about Marvel comics, I stated that I wasn’t going to pick up the Avengers versus X-Men event that was occurring. When I went in to the comic shop the day that the first issue came out, the siren song of a pretty cover filled with the Avengers and X-Men squaring off was just more than my poor geek soul could take. I picked it up and added it to the pile of books to be read. I will admit that this breach of trust did not go unpunished.

After reading the first issue, I looked up from the book to find my Red Lantern ring floating in front of me waiting to unleash the rage that had filled me. I will admit that I have not read any X-Men or Avengers titles in some time and had to be brought up to date on some of the characters by my friend Aaron. Even being updated on the nuances of the character changes did little to lessen the nerd rage over the immense problems I have with this book.

At first, I wasn’t quite sure where to begin in talking about this book but the easiest place to start is the beginning. The initiating incident for this event is the return of the Phoenix Force. The Avengers respond to a disaster in the city of something crashing to earth from space. It is revealed that it was not an object, Nova. He had been fleeing the Phoenix Force to warn earth of it’s imminent approach. The Avengers response to this is to assemble a team to confront the Phoenix Force in space and watch for any occurrence of the energy signature here on earth as the Phoenix has a habit of choosing a host from here on earth. The very beginning of the story accepts the prior history of the Phoenix and yet the Avenger’s sens a force to attempt to stop the unfetter Phoenix force knowing that it has only been stopped through the actions of the host itself. I understand that the Phoenix is seen as a force of destruction in the universe and the Avengers would want to act to protect the earth from destruction. The problem is that knowing to look for the energy signature here on earth shows that they are aware that it prefers having a human host and has never done anything to the planet or galaxy where it takes it’s host. Captain America’s mobilization of the Avengers into outer space is unnecessary, unwarranted, and ultimately futile. To my knowledge, only Galactus has been shown to be able to hold the Phoenix against it’s will and then released it as its destruction would lead to the destruction of all the stars in the universe. Engaging the Phoenix Force with out a host could feasibly lead to the destruction of all life which is an untenable position.

Cyclops is the other major problem in this scenario for me. When we cut to the island home of the X-Men and their wards we seeing him training Hope in the most abusive fashion. Even the narrative reflects that his behavior is abusive as other characters comment on what is going on and Hope flares with the Phoenix aura in a manner reminiscent of how Jean manifested it when being pushed beyond her limits by the Black King. On top of his abusive behavior, he seems intent on pushing the mutant agenda in a fashion similar to Magneto. So much so that Magneto says the exact same thing. Which belabors the point of why is anyone listening to him in the first place. He is obviously crazy and in need of an intervention. Why not just let Captain America kick his ass then deal with the crisis like adults?

I will admit that these two things get my dander up and make me want to spit blood, but I would be remiss in my duties as a geek if I didn’t point out the good bits as well. Despite these major plot holes, the dialog is well written and takes up more time than one would expect in a hero versus hero event. I really like that Captain America tried to talk Cyclopes out of this before bringing the hammer down. The interactions between all the players in this event were well done and enjoyable. It just feels like healthy muscle covering brittle bones that can not support the weight of the story they are trying to tell.

Please let me know what you think about Avengers versus X-Men. I know my knowledge of the back story is somewhat limited and further enlightenment is always welcome. I know I will continue picking up the main book but I will be avoiding the tie-ins and the pure fight books.

Remember, no matter what the question, 42 is always a good answer.

Wrath of the Titans

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Apr 102012

I recently went and saw the movie Wrath of the Titans and thought I would do a quick review. I know you are most probably wondering why I went to see it as it’s predecessor Clash of the Titans was so horrendous. One, I’m a glutton for punishment. I enjoy going to the movies and end up seeing horrible things in pursuit of this past time. In addition to being a glutton for punishment, I am also a fan of Greek mythology. It was these two predilections that had me go see the Clash of the Titans and inevitably drew me to see its even worse sequel Wrath of the Titans.

This movie takes up where Clash of the Titans left off. Perseus, played by Sam Worthington, has opted to remain mortal after the events that played out in Clash of the Titans. We quickly learn that this has come with a benefit and a price. He now has a son for whom he cares deeply but has lost his wife to the ravages of mortality. Zeus, Played by Liam Neeson, visits him to ask for his help in setting the world back in order as things have been in a downward spiral since the unfortunate events of the past. Perseus declines as he would rather stay a mortal. What follows is the betrayal of Zeus by his son Ares and brother Hades and the beginning of the destruction of all of creation at the hands of Kronos. Perseus is blessed with a vision of what is to come and narrowly saves his son from the first wave of monsters released by the capture of Zeus. He learns that he must save his father and collects his new band of heroes to undertake this quest.

This is a standard action adventure movie with the trappings of Greek mythology. All of the standard tropes are present even to the point that the dialogue is reminiscent of lethal Weapon. Despite the amount of money spent on CGI, the monsters range from the forgettable to the stupendously horrible. Kronos is presented as a giant man composed of magma filled earth which is both boring and uninspired. Instead of working within the mythology , the director decided to go with recreating the monsters without really doing anything fresh or new. We are given a Minotaur in the labyrinth scene that is seen mostly in bits and pieces during a fight. When it is defeated, it is revealed to be nothing more than a grotesquely mutated man. Here is where you could have created a memorable Minotaur that didn’t suffer from any of the poor portrayals that it has seen in the past. The one spot of brilliance in this movie comes from Bill Nighy as Hephaestus. Here is presented as a broken man that has been stripped of his godhood in punishment for siding with the Titans at the beginning of creation. Bill Nighy plays Hepaestus as a deranged yet affable professor type which provides for some appropriate levity in an otherwise drab movie. My favorite scene is where he has a conversation with an inert Bubo from the original Clash of the Titans. It was priceless.

I will not say that the movie was a total loss. My penchant for Greek mythology allowed me take something away from this movie. I enjoyed the modern spin on a classic tragedy. In this movie, Perseus hubris is shown as something valuable and the reason he stays a mortal to be with his son. The movie never directly points out that the horrors visited on the people around him are all Perseus’ fault. If he had taken up his godly heritage when asked by his father, none of the people in his village would have died and his son’s life would have never been put in danger. Instead, his pride of humanity costs the lives of thousands and the threat of losing everything he values is the only thing that truly motivates him. This is a true tragic hero. Blinded by his own arrogance, he brings destruction down upon everything around him.

I highly recommend giving this movie a pass at the theaters. Maybe catch it on Netflix if you have nothing better to do.

Remember, 42 is a good answer, no matter what the question.

The Hunger Games

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Apr 062012

May the odds be ever in your favor.

I thought I would try something a little different today and tell you about a movie that you might enjoy. I’m pretty sure that you’ve heard of it. It’s called The Hunger Games.

Now, I know that this seems like a no-brainer to recommend a blockbuster movie based on a bestselling novel. I beg to differ. If you saw last year’s travesty Clash of the Titans or any movie based on a Nicholas Sparks novel, you would know that these are not safe criteria for deciding to go see a movie. I’m going to assume you’ve never heard of the Hunger Games and give you a quick explanation of the basis for the movie and tell you why I enjoyed it and I think you will enjoy it as well.

The Hunger Games is set in a dystopian future where a rebellion has ravaged the nation of Panem. The nation was composed of 13 districts and the capitol, but district 13 was destroyed to end the rebellion and the Hunger Games were instituted as a reminder of the outcome. The Hunger Games are a televised game where two children between the ages of 11 and 18 are taken from each district and forced to fight to the death until there is one victor. The movie begins by providing this exposition and giving a glimpse of the game show itself before showing us District 12 on the day that children are chosen called the reaping. The movie follows Katniss Everdeen and her fellow tribute, Peeta Mellark through the 74^th annual Hunger Games.

The obvious reason that you would enjoy this movie is that is a well done adventure/thriller. There are points throughout the movie where the tension just builds until it is released like an explosion. Interspersed with these moments are deeper character moments that allow you to see the strengths and weaknesses of both Katniss and Peeta. The movie does not shy away from its ancestry either. It comes across clearly that this movie hails from the same arena as that of movies such as the Running man and Hard Target. It takes what these movies had done and adds a greater character depth combined with a more subtle social commentary than these antecedents. It is this social commentary that I enjoyed and I think will make this movie enjoyable for you as well. It makes a point about our current cultural fascination with reality TV, but it also has this quieter thread that runs throughout the movie. Katniss and Peet are from District 12, but they are not the lens through which we see everything. The movie provides two differing types of people from the capitol. We are shown President Snow and the Gamesmaker as one group and Effie Trinket and Caesar Flickerman as the other. The difference between the two is telling. President Snow and his group are implicitly involved in the horrible spectacle that is the Hunger Games. It is there device for maintaining a tyrannical grip on the populace. Trinket and Flickerman provide an image of people much like us, the viewer. They are so immersed in their lives that they are not completely able to see or comprehend the horrors that are occurring around them. This dichotomy is quietly showcased behind the other tropes that are given the foreground. It is given more power for the simplicity with which it is shown.

The Hunger Games easily provides what it promises. It is a good science fiction thriller with plenty of action and suspense to keep you entertained. It isn’t empty entertainment as it has several messages that are very thought-provoking in how they are portrayed. I highly recommend seeing it on the big screen and picking up the book afterwards.

Marvel Comics

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Mar 202012

Last time I talked about DC and how they helped me get back into reading comics. The same can not be said for Marvel. I had thought that nostalgia would make for an easy transition back into the titles of my youth with Marvel. I was sadly mistaken.

I was lucky that Daredevil was restarting at the same time as the DC reboot. I picked up the first issue and the writing was very good. I ended up staying with the title for seven issues, for the most part, due to the writing. The problem for me was that Daredevil was never a character that I really enjoyed and the stories themselves were always about street-level crime. What I enjoyed about comics was the over the top action and sometimes cosmic scale of the stories. I also noticed that the X-Men were rebooting in Marvel’s Ultimate line. I talked to my friend at the comic book shop about the title a little before deciding to pick it up. I was under the impression that as a number one, I should have no trouble picking up the story line and moving forward. I was wrong again. Even though they were starting from a somewhat different beginning than what I was aware of, the previous back story was still necessary to have a grasp of what was going on in the title. I gave it four issues to win me over but could never lose the feeling that there was a significant amount of the story that I was missing.

Having no sense of the continuity of a title isn’t my only issue with Marvel either. I was told to give two titles a read as one was the beginning of the Age of Apocalypse starting over and the other was the return of Cable. The issue of Avengers in which Cable returns still suffered from the problem of not understanding what was going on, but the larger problem for me in this title was that Cable was attacking other heroes. I’m not looking for gray heroes in my four color comics, but that is what I received when I picked up this issue. The story itself left me cold and learning that it is the lead-up to the summer event of Avengers versus X-Men only makes me even less likely to pick up any new titles. The Age of Apocalypse story line also suffers from the same hero versus hero problem. In this iteration of the story, some of the X-Men are trying to save the remnants of humanity while Wolverine is the primary weapon of the opposition. Watching Wolverine beat-up and kill Magneto is not something I count as a good reading experience. I know there are people that are saying “Don’t you want to know why he did that?” and my answer is no. I enjoy the anti-hero as much as the next guy, but I can get a much better one of those from a novel.

My nostalgia is more of a double-edged sword for me in regards to Marvel titles. It has made it very difficult for me to get back into the X-Men and Avengers as I have fond memories of them fighting their enemies instead of one another. The flip side of this is that it has made it easier for me to pick up two titles that I didn’t initially think I would enjoy. Defenders recently restarted with a new team roster but still included Dr Strange. I have always been a big fan of his and was very pleased to see him again. He is portrayed a little differently that I am accustomed to but instead of being jarring, it provides another layer to an interesting character. Instead of fighting among themselves they are trying to undo a problem created by the Hulk which is also a good call back to the old Defenders title. The other was Future Foundation. I know that this is a completely new title created after the apparent death of Johnny Storm but It was nostalgia that spurred me to pick it up. You see, the issue I picked up had the Power Pack on the cover along with all the Reed children. I have fond memories of the Power Pack and really enjoyed when they crossed over with other heroes in the Marvel universe. I was not completely familiar with the story that was unfolding in the issue I picked up but these characters provided a touchstone for me to take the time to better see what was going on and decide that I would like to see where it was going.

I would really like to get back into Marvel. The new event that will be linking all their titles will make this very difficult for me. My main hope is that it will not spread to either FF or Defenders and that when this is over it may make for a better entry point for me into one of their books.

If you know of any Marvel books that I might enjoy, please enlighten me.

Remember that 42 is a good answer, no matter what the question.

DC Comics and the New 52

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Mar 062012

I mentioned earlier that I am a fan of comics. You may have also noticed that Michael is also a fan, particularly Batman. His blog on here is Batcave Gamer and I highly recommend you giving it a read. The thing is that I had been out of comics for several years. I had stopped enjoying the story lines that were being put out and the constant change in artists had begun to wear on me. So, I just stopped buying them. I would still pick up the occasional trade collecting a story, but that was the extent of my foray into comics for awhile. It was two things that got me back into comics. The first was listening to Funnybooks with Aron and Paulie on Ideology of Madness. If you look to the bottom right of your screen, you will see a box where Michael has listed the podcasts that Zero Fortitude enjoys. You will find a link to Ideology of Madness there. I’ve gushed about them over at my blog and you can read that here.

What I want to talk about today is the second thing that brought me back into comics. This would be DC Comics new 52. In September of 2011, DC comics restarted 52 of their titles over again at issue one. It was a complete reboot for some of the titles, some titles just carried on from where they had left off, and some titles were starting something new that hadn’t been done either before or in awhile. When I heard about this, I was interested. The big lead up event to the new 52 was Flash Point. I started picking up the Flash Point mini-series and some of it’s supporting titles over the summer. I enjoyed the issues that I picked up and ended up looking forward to the new 52. Since I was a lapsed comic fanboy, I didn’t pick up every new title that came out in September. I picked up the old favorites that I remembered from my youth as well as pulling the titles that seemed to be the most interesting to me. Even without picking up every title, I still had a pile of 15 titles by the end of September. I will admit that not all of them were big hits, but it was nice to be back into reading comics.

One of the things that I would hear from people at the comic shop and on the internet was that DC comics had really failed at what they had set out to accomplish. The complaint that I kept hearing was that DC was trying to bring in new readers but that the reboots were not really targeting that demographic. I was used as support for these arguments as I was not really a new reader but someone that had stopped reading a while back and was being enticed back by the media frenzy. I will admit that I at first was an adherent to this new call for blood against the mighty provider of entertainment for the geek masses. It is very easy to get swept up in the nerd rage that sometimes sweeps the net like a wildfire. Thankfully, I have taken some time to ponder the red rage that surrounded the new 52 and can say that I disagree with the thought that DC missed the target that they had set for themselves. The underlying assumption of this whole argument is false. DC wasn’t looking for new readers. They were looking for readers of any stripe and were doing their damnedest to get eyes on their product. They achieved that goal. I would say that I am proof for this argument as well. I said earlier that I was a lapsed comic fan, but I think a better term would be a disaffected fan. The constant change up in writers and artists had made me stop reading titles I had loved and made it difficult for me look at comics with anything other than a rheumy eye. There had been media frenzies driven by comics before the new 52, with the assassination of Captain America being the one that comes to mind first. Those types of stunts were not what I was looking for as a gateway back into comics. The new 52 presented an easy access point back into the hobby without having to have consumed all the prior stories that had gone before. It also didn’t penalize you for having some knowledge of previous story lines as some titles didn’t even reboot. Hell, I don’t even have to spend a long period of time hunting through the back issues if I want to pick up one of the titles that I didn’t originally pick up as most shops are maintaining a shelf of the new 52 back for several months. The barrier for my reentry into the hobby was removed and I was met with open arms. This is how you get readers and DC did it well.

One of the things I have noticed is that some of the more progressive titles from the new 52 are getting little Bandwidth. I am a fan of Animal Man, Demon Knights, and Red Lantern but here very little in regards to these titles outside of the greatest comic podcast in the world, Funnybooks with Aron and Paulie. Yes, that was a gratuitous plug. Each of these titles is doing something I find unique and hope that others give them a read so that they keep coming out. Animal man is a family horror comic that just happens to be set in a world full of super heroes. Demon Knights takes several interesting second tier characters and puts them into a setting more appropriate to them. It is also a very progressive title for DC. Finally, Red Lantern gives us a look into a Lantern Corp without guardians and what that would mean. Yes, I know that doesn’t sound all the groundbreaking. It is for me as my one problem with all the Lantern titles is the damn annoying little blue men.

I have to give kudos to DC. They not only brought me back into the fold as a fan of their product, but they have made me want to talk about it with others. This is an accomplishment in my book. It ends up not just being good for DC, but for other comic companies as well. I want to try out some new titles and I am now straying further afield. Which leads easily into a future post about Marvel.

So, go to your local comic shop and pick up a few issues. I don’t think you will be disappointed.

Remember that 42 is a good answer, no matter what the question.

Going off the rails on a crazy train!

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Feb 212012

Going off the rails on a crazy train

I am sure that Ozzy Osborne never thought that a line from Crazy train would be used in regards to table-top role playing games. But I think it is a very appropriate title for a post about games that are on the rails.

Rails you say? Why yes, rails I say.

Now, you are obviously familiar with RPG podcast as you are here on Zero Fortitude’s website. From the results of the RPG listeners’ survey, I can extrapolate that you listen to between 2 and 6 RPG podcasts in total. I assume you’ve heard the statement, “This game is on rails.” On the off chance that you haven’t though, allow me to explain. It is a reference to a game where the decisions of the players have no impact on the progress of the story. It doesn’t matter where you go as the antagonist will be wherever you end up regardless. This statement is very derogatory, and rightly so. Table-top role playing games are inherently cooperative endeavor and when the players have no impact on what is going on you are doing them a disservice. The argument has been made on several blogs, on twitter, and other podcasts that there are systems that inherently require this rails style. This is not the subject I want to discuss. I want to explore how the idea of rails could be used to increase the collaborative nature of a game.

This is a particularly intriguing idea for me as I am getting ready to begin a Scion: Hero game. I struck upon Scion as the system to use as we wanted to do a modern setting with fantasy trappings. I want to ease the group into a more collaborative style with a system that they are already somewhat comfortable. Scion covers all these bases and touches on the idea of rails with the idea of Fate that winds its way throughout the narrative and mechanics of the series. Fate is the tool that will allow me to play with the idea of rails while giving authorial control to the player over that fate. I understand that this is not something that is implicitly dealt with in the rules of Scion, but it is something that is easily tweaked during the obligatory prelude portion of every White Wolf game.

From the outset, I’ve used the idea of the rails and made it implicit in the process. I’ve framed the character creation in terms that give the players a solid base to start with and allows for a broad range of choices while not being overwhelming. I’ve made sure to explain the idea of Fate somewhat before we do our character creation session, but I am going to make a larger presentation at this point. I am making it explicit that fate is what brought the group together while explaining that the player is control of this fate. I’ve had to struggle with the players’ general style of character creation away from the table and bringing what they want to the first session, but it is well worth it to get everyone on the same page as well as ensuring that everyone is comfortable with their character.

There are several mechanics in this system that lends themselves to making the rails explicit and giving control over to the player. Legend itself has a bit of built in authorial control in the nature of its recovery. Legend is recovered by being actively awesome. This is reward with bonus dice ranging from 1 to 3. In the description for stunts worthy of 2 or 3 dice bonuses, players are encouraged to edit the scene to make it more dramatic without having to roll for every little action that is described. Outside of Legend, there are several purviews that deal directly with Fate. Prophecy, Mystery, Magic, and Samsra all deal directly with Fate and its impact on characters. Here is where I’m going to be making tweaks to once again play with the idea of rails and increase the collaborative aspects of the game. The descriptions of each of these explicitly leave it to the storyteller to decide what information is given to the players and this is what I plan on altering. Giving the player the ability to tell me what is going to happen in the future with Prophecy or what is going on right now with Mystery puts the tails out in the open and gives the player control of where they go.

I think this combination will provide a good way to look at rails from a new perspective. You have the idea of Fate, the rails in this case, and you give up control to the players to increase their power in a more traditional game. This takes the negative connotation away and turns it into a player empowering tool. I think this is both a good way to think about problematic gaming styles and provides a method of easing traditional gamers into a more modern style.

What do you think?

Also, don’t forget 42 is a good answer no matter what the question.

Introduction

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Feb 072012

Greetings Programs!

Welcome to Deep Thought. My name is Rob and I’ll be your host for this and many more posts here at Zero Fortitude. Michael was kind enough to invite me to do some posts and I was glad to accept. The plan is to have at least two posts a month for your reading enjoyment.

I think the best way to kick off this new blog is to introduce myself and tell you a little about my gamer/geek DNA.

Like I mentioned before, My name is Rob. I’ve been a table-top RPG gamer for over twenty years. I am both a player and a GM, though I have tended to wear the GM hate for the past several years. I have played a range of systems from Second Edition D&D to its current incarnation. I’ve also played Shadowrun, Mutants & Masterminds, Champions, Pathfinder, Legends of the Five Rings, and a whole host of other systems. I am a big fan of the hobby. I am also a fan of board games and video games. My tastes in board games tends to run in the vein of Catan, Carcassone, and Ticket to Ride. I will sadly admit that my video game experience tends to run in the MMO arena. I played Everquest for a long stretch of time and also played WoW, City of Heroes, Final Fantasy Online, Dungeon and Dragons Online, DC Universe Online, and Star Wars: The Old republic. My console experiences are somewhat limited until recently. I’ve just picked up a PS3 and have had my Xbox 360 for just about two years now. I’ve really enjoyed Arkham City, Red Dead Redemption, and the Dynasty Warrior series. Yes, I just said I liked the Dynasty Warrior series. I hope you can see that I have quite a varied background when it comes to the gaming side of the equation.

I think my long list of role playing games does a pretty good job of placing me in the geek circle if we were drawing a ven diagram, but I feel that my penchant for sci-fi and fantasy will easily cement my position there. I am a big fan of The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher and Harry Potter series by J K Rowling. I highly recommend giving Patricia Briggs, Carrie Vaughn, and Richard Kadrey a try as well. I will admit to having read the required Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance fiction for being a gamer but found that I enjoyed the L5R fiction more than it really deserved. My taste in TV and movies is eclectic, though that is being kind. I am a big fan of Sanctuary, Warehouse 13, Justified, Game of Thrones, Dexter, and Alphas to name a few. I will also admit to enjoying the Underworld franchise despite its myriad flaws.

There is a brief insight into the headology of your host here at Deep Thought.

I can hear you asking what can we expect to see here at Deep Thought? I would like to tell you that brilliance will be dripping from every single pixel that you set your poor benighted eyes upon, but I would be lying. Realistically, I will be posting about table top games, books, movies, and anything that you would like to hear about.

I look forward to you reading what I have to say and hope to hear from you in regards to what you have read and what you would like to hear about. So, make sure to leave a note in the comments or drop me a line on the forums here at Zero Fortitude.

Remember, it doesn’t matter what the question is because 42 is always a good answer.