January in review

A review of how my renewed direction with my blog have been going.

Reddit was something new for me but I rang in the new year trying it out.  To start with it was an immediate success driving me more traffic than any other source. But the consistent spike in traffic since I began posting there is undeniable. Reddit is getting more people to look at my blog and providing feedback.

My Jaded Gamer entry on the 3rd generated some interesting stuff. Daruma didn't like me and now Wordforge doesn't like me either. Film at eleven. Although it aggravate one of the Nightfall guys that he spit out a soft release date for Sla Industries 2nd edition:

This tweet was right at the beginning of January so that makes the release date June 2020. I don't think this guy has looked into the effect that Allsop has on release dates when it comes to Sla Industries.

Started up my old Tumblr account and begin posting there again while tossing out some pictures, links to my blog post and Drivethru links. We'll see if that's a viable platform for me to use. Loading up the queue option for posting with links to DrivethruRPG/Comics/Fiction so that one pops up each day. But from what I can tell, except for one or two exceptions, Tumblr is a ghost town for driving traffic towards anyplace else. So next month I will try something a bit different.

On the social network end I tried ramping up on Twitter a bit. The goal was to get as close to 2k impressions a day as I could and more link clicks to boot.  Well my impressions are actually trending around 3k a day instead but my link clicks are pretty much flat and have only seen a few increases on days where I get a big retweet.

Still trying out MeWe, still not happy with the desktop interface. But I am seeing some interaction in groups I'm in as well as my own feed posts so there is activity there. The OSR crowd seems really heavy so far and a lot of my stuff doesn't fall into their area of interest. Time will tell how this pans out.

Also I've started focusing most of my posting to go up Mon-Fri and giving myself the weekend free to write a few more up in advance and take a break from thing as well.

Jaded Gamers - Origin of the Strix

Sometimes some really neat stuff pops up out of nowhere on forums. In a Sla Industries discussion somebody who evidently worked on Vampire: The Requiem offered up the origin of the Strix in exchange for insider info on the new Sla Industries truth stuff.

So far the Strix origin has been offered up but not the Sla info.  Anyways so here is your Strix origins:

You ask the wolves, they'll tell you humans don't have any spirits besides our own souls. Spider spirits, rat spirits, no human ones.

That's because we scared them off.

In ancient times, humans were all action. We hunted, we gathered, we fought. We were smart, yet, but we lived in the moment. And our spirits liked it that way.

But then we got our shit together. We learned how to harness fire, we learned to believe in things. They didn't like that. So our hearths drove them back, our religions tormented them, and the sun our crops grew by paralyzed them.

The Strix... they could have been us. But we went our own way.

Kind of interesting, definitely explains them a bit more. May have to steal the base of this idea for other games I run. I'll update IF they ever cough up the Sla info which I doubt they will do.

TBOT - Neural Archive

Time for another 'That blog, over there.' entry.

This time I'm pointing you all towards a heavy cyberpunk influenced blog called Neural Archive. I don't even know where to begin here.  There is such a huge amount of inspiration in the posts over there covering such a wide variety of ideas and topics.  You just have to dig in and get dirty looking through it all.

I haven't even read a fraction of what is up there but I have to recommend this blog to anyone running, playing or thinking about cyberpunk/scifi table top RPGs.  It doesn't get any better than this.

Find the Neural Archive here!

Remember to add it to your blog lists and check in regularly.

Cyberpunk 2020 - Superconsumer part two

Desensitization

With a constant stream of high resolution visuals being streamed into lives of every single person in a city there are bound to be negative consequences. The broadcast of ratings grabbing ultra violence and stories of death, despair and hopelessness coupled with high end subliminal technology and a society that makes acts of barbarism famous has took this to a whole new level.

While it drives sales through the roof and gets people staring at the screen more and more the mental affects are far more dire. At the best it has caused a good majority of the lower and middle class to become apathetic to the plights of others, causal empathy towards living beings is almost a thing of the past. At it's worse the desire to actually physically experience and create horrific events like shown on television has continued to rise. So much that an entire subculture has been generated by those who go down that deep descent.

More than ever violence goes unreported, murders are something that just happen in the minds of the masses. People will walk past a dead man on the street and not call the police but will certainly snap a few pictures to share with their friends. Missing persons lists grow so long there is no way to investigate even a quarter of them. Sexual

assaults are increasing every day across the entire divide of the classes. The crime rate is on a steady tick upwards and nobody seems to really care about it anymore as long as they get to catch a story about it on the news channels later.

Packs of killers. Before most serial killers acted alone in their acts. Knowing full well that nearly everyone else would be horrified by their actions. Now they are fully aware that there are others just like them so they seek them out as somebody who will truly understand. This has led to killers working in groups, planning, staging and the executing complicated killings with a manner they hope will grab the attention of the news. These groups of been named “Colligates” by the media and law enforcement. While the individual members are being called “Kindred”.

The real dark web. As more and more Colligates form across the country they began reaching out onto the net as well. Forming their own private Data Fortresses hidden beneath the cover of legitimate appearing locations or so deeply hidden that most people would never venture there while jacked in. These are where the Kindred can meet up and discuss their plans, brag about their kills, exchange information and even set up real world events for themselves.

Theater for the macabre. Colligates that have been successful and generated their own dark reputations have began to catch a bit of theatrical flair. They will plan out an event centered around the torture and killing of several individuals at once. For these they will invite other Kindred to come and watch as an audience. They have found the remains of these such spectacles in abandoned theaters, warehouses, parking garages and subway tunnels. The dead left for the police to pick up after their trophies have been collected. These events have been called “Clandestine Spectacles” by the Kindred themselves.

Hooks on how to work this into your games.

A corporate has had a family member taken by a Colligate to be used in a Clandestine Spectacle. Thankfully they had an implanted locator chip but the police are to busy to look into it. So they have a Fixer quickly hire a group of edgerunners to get their loved one back.

A Colligate has been killing members of the neighborhood where one of the edgerunners lives. This is attracting a bit of unwanted attention and making it harder for them to get around easily because of the police presence cleaning up the mess. So it's up to them to stop the Kindred involved to get their relative peace and quiet back.

One of the edgerunners has become the target or a Colligate. For the next few weeks they will be followed at a distance, their home monitored and information about them being gathered. Since they are not a normal drone the runner will get a chance to notice this all going on around them before they are ready to actually move in for the kill. If they don't... well they may find themselves outnumbered in a well planned kill.

One of the kindred Datafortresses has been hacked and the names of several members has been made public. There are now rewards on the heads of many of them by those who have lost family and friends to them. So time for the edgerunners to hit the streets and earn as many of those bounties as they can.

If you enjoy this blog and would like to show it please click on the 'Support this blog' tab at the top of the page.

For more dark and twisted material to work into your Cyberpunk 2020 games check out Dark Metropolis from Dream Pod 9.

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Cyberpunk 2020 - Imitation of Life

Imitation of Life

Sometimes people don't want others to know they have a metal arm or leg. They would much rather appear to be a completely meat house person in this age replacement parts. Which can set you apart from the regular crowd of teched out junkies walking around. This is where Imitation of Life comes into play.

Forget RealSkinn, we go beyond their pitiful attempts at appearing life like. When you get your cyberlimb covered by our product nobody will be able to tell the difference. The secret is in a biolink to the rest of your body and the replicating what that limb should be doing on the physical level. What can it do you may ask, well let's give you a quick rundown of features.

Pulse. Anybody checking for a pulse on your arm will feel one. Completely synchronized with your current heartbeat so it's pumping fast when you've been running and low and slow when asleep.

Goosebumps. The hairs on your artificial arm will stand up and small bumps will appear whenever they do on the rest of your body.

Small cuts and scrapes. Small droplets of blood will appear and scab over. The skin underneath will also slowly heal over time.

Blushing and skin tone. Of course your skin will match up with the rest of you all the way down to blemishes and marks. Even slightly blushing when necessary.

So if you're wanting to stop looking like a chrome junkie and ready to rejoin the ranks of the normal humans then we have the product you are looking for. Imitation of Life, enabling you to continue on with a normal one.

ID Code: ImOL

Cost: 500eb for an arm and 750eb for a leg.

System. Same as Realskinn but the check to detect the cyberlimb is now at NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE difficulty on a visual inspection. Also lowers the HC for the limb by 1D6. Uses up an extra option space on the limb.

Sponsorship: Imitation of Life is not offering sponsorships at this time since the entire point of the line is so other are not aware of the cyberlimb. However if someone with a celebrity or near celebrity reputation were wishing to switch over to their covering they will be more than happy to talk with them. They have done “Back to normal” style commercials where they focus on those who have decided to ditch the chrome look in favor of the new real appearance. In this case they will not only pay for the coverings but also several hundred eb for about a couple hours of interview videos before and after installation.

If you enjoy this blog and would like to show it please click on the 'Support this blog' tab at the top of the page.

Check out Chromebook 1/2 and Chromebook 3/4 for more of your Cyberpunk 2020 gear needs.

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2019 Royal Rumble predictions

Now while I'm a fan of gaming, scifi and all that I am also a fan of wrestling I just don't find much to post about for it.  So I've decided to put up my pics for this years Royal Rumble.  So here we go:

Cruiserweight Championship match will be won by Buddy Murphy.

Update: I was right.

United States Championship match will be won by Rusev
Update: I was wrong.

Smackdown Tag Team Championship is hard to call. It should be Shane and the Miz winning but if Shane doesn't plan on returning to a regular wrestling schedule they won't. So right now I'm saying Shane will be setting out more than being there so the Bar will win.
Update: I was wrong

Smackdown Women's Championship will be won by Becky Lynch but there will be some sort of shenanigans involved.

Update: I was wrong. Dammit.

Raw Women's Championship will be won by Ronda Rousey.
Update: I was right.

WWE Championship will be won by the New Daniel Bryan but there will be a low blow or something like that involved.
Update: I was right.

Universal Championship will be won by Finn Balor IF and only IF he comes out in the Demon make up. If he does not then Brock will hold onto it.
Update: I was right.

30 Women Royal Rumble will be won by Charlotte Flair. I just hope Ember Moon and Nikki Cross get some decent time in there.
Update: I would've been right but shenanigans. But I am happy Becky won.

30 Men Royal Rumble will be won by Drew McIntyre or Seth Rollins. I just hope R-Truth gets some decent time in there and we see a few really cool surprise entries.
Update: One of my two picks won so I was right. To bad they gave R-Truth jack shit though.

In the end I was right five time and wrong four times. Not to bad.  

Hardware (1990)

Hardware (1990) released as “Mark 13” in some areas.

Find the two disc limited edition on Amazon.

 

Based off of a 2000 A.D. story titled 'Shok!' although it wasn't until video release that it was actually given credit. This low budget scifi/horror movie brings out some excessive violence, language and sexual content to a wonderful cyberpunk background. Something you really don't see often enough.

An early role for Dylan McDermott, and one that is often forgotten, but not due to his acting ability as he pulls off a solid performance. Surprises are a voice over from a radio station from time to time by rock n' roll icon Iggy Pop, Carl McCoy from Fields of Nephilim as a masked nomad and Lemmy from Motorhead as a taxi driver.

The basic premise is pretty straight forward, Mo (McDermott) returns home and brings his girlfriend Jill (Stacy Travis) the head of a destroyed Mark 13 robot to use in her industrial style artwork she creates. However the head is far from dead and rebuilds itself to wreak havoc. Causing even more trouble on top of that is the perverted sexual predator neighbor Lincoln (William Hootkins) stalking Jill as well. Mo has to attempt to save his girlfriend with the help of his friend Shades (John Lynch) and the security detail of the apartment complex.

Due to the amount of graphic violence, language and some pretty openly sexual explicit scenes the studio had to do cuts in order to receive a rating low enough to get into most theater markets. Even yet a great deal of gore still manages to make it to the final cut.

For a low budget film they really manage to pull out some impressive work on this. Capturing a lot of trashed cyberpunkish scenery and feel throughout the entire movie. From the parts shop Mo finds the head in to his taxi ride home, the apartment complex and surrounding buildings. Even the costuming folks made everything look good. More impressive they managed to evade one of the most common problems I have with scifi movies, they managed to make it all 'lived in'. It's grimy, dirty and things are piled around, you get the overall general feel that people actually live there. There are no new shiny apartments that we are expected to believe somebody has been there for years. It all feels somewhat real.

This is long before the CGI time of movie making so we get all practical effects. Most of the time these are also done well but during the final few fights with the Mark 13 robot. Then it begins to fall apart bit by bit, some shots look like a puppet robot a little to much, others we can see the legs of a person under the body for a quick second or two and then some scenes even come across as laughable.

Other plot holes are never explained. Such as one of the Mark 13 weapons of choice is an injected toxin that can cause a persons mind to trip out and eventually kill them. Where the self rebuilt bot managed to come across more of it, since there was only a head at the apartment, is rather questionable. Hell just the rebuilding of itself leaves a lot to the suspension of disbelief. But then again this movie isn't trying to be a perfectly sealed script.

There is, of course, a body count in this movie. Sometimes rather unexpected. But they are all memorable and usually leaving us with an “Oh Shit” reaction when watching them happen.

In the end if you like your scifi to be a dark and bloody cyberpunk vision then you will probably enjoy this movie. It's not for everyone and you have to be forgiving at moments for the low budget. I do think it is a 'must see' for scifi folks who aren't squeamish or easily offended by sexual language or themes.

 

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For cyberpunk table top gaming check out the Cyberpunk 2020 RPG.

 

"Oogey Boogey! We ran out of money!"

TBOT - Coastal Features

Been a long while since I've done a "That blog, over there." post and I feel the need to do it more often.  Especially after finding a link on Reddit to an amazing resource for world builders.

Over on the blog "Otherworldly Incantation", which is primarily a DnD5e place, the owner put up a post called '70+ Coastal Features for Fantasy Worldbuilding' and I'll have to say it's a doozy. He put a lot of research into this as one can easily tell (giving sources even) and provides pictures for the features as well.  Since I'm a landlocked sort of person and I've only seen the actual ocean a handful of times in my life this was quite an educational read.

Actual natural formations that are formed on coasts, islands, around reefs and so much more.  Just a ton of ideas for when you grow tired of the typical beach or seaside settlement with a dock. Make it stand out and be original while making it appear to your players that you know a lot about seaside formations when you don't.

70+ Coastal Features for Fantasy Worldbuilding, go give it a look now.

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Until next time, keep reading.

Cyberpunk 2020 - Ideas for the CCG

Once upon a time there was a collectible card game for the Cyberpunk 2020 setting. It was a bit clunky but it was also a lot of fun.  Especially for those of us who were fans of the RPG. Sadly it didn't last very long with only a core set and an expanded core set making it out. 

There was an expansion already planned out, cards written and quite a bit of artwork attained from what was being shown.  Also the forums for the game were active with it's fans who were constantly tossing out new card ideas for them to use in future expansions.  It was a good time.

Going through some old files on an external hard drive I came across a list of cards I had come up with.  Some aren't complete stat wise but you get the idea.  Figured I would share them since they have no other actual use anymore.

Combat Cameraman Ideas

Gregory Horrowitz

SR: 2 LR: 0 DEF: 4 Cost: corporate ? Style: 3 Emp: 7
Media, Combat Cameraman
://Gains +1 power for every Solo on the same team.

Billy

SR: 2 LR: 0 DEF: 6 Cost: street ? Style: 1 Emp: 5
Media, Combat Cameraman
://All other runners on the same team as Billy get a +1 Def
“They call me Billy the Human Bullseye.” Billy

Armored Camera

SR: 0 LR: 0 DEF: 2 Style: 1 Cost: ?
://Runners with the Combat Cameraman attribute get an additional +2 Def while the Armored Camera is attached.
“Yeah if you hold it like this you get the maximum coverage potential to block incoming rounds.” Jimmy Blitz

Dummy Camera

SR: 5 LR: 0 DEF: 0 Style: 1 Cost: ?
://May not be purchased like normal equipment.
://Skirmish: Pay for and place this card on a runner with the Combat Cameraman attribute that is involved in the skirmish.
“Shoot at me will ya?”

Right place, right time

Cost: 4
://Play on a runner with the Combat Cameraman attribute when they are on a team that has just successfully completed an operation. That runner gains +2 power permanently.
://Target a runner with the Combat Cameraman attribute who has just survived a skirmish. That runner gains +1 stlye permanently.
“I’m reporting to you live from the scene even though our usual reporter has taken serious injuries…” Gregory Horrowitz

Wrong place, wrong time

Cost: 4
://Play when a runner you control is being trashed. Target another runner you control with the Combat Cameraman attribute, that runner is trashed instead.

Other Media Ideas

Renegade Newsman

SR: ? LR: ? DEF: ? Cost: street ? Style: ? Emp: ?
Media, Netrunner
://
“Live and direct to you across the net and not the airwaves.”

Network Chopper

SR: ? LR: ? DEF: ? Cost: Copr ? Style: ?
Vehicle, Helicoptor
://Will only attach to a Runner with the Media Attribute.
://Use this card when a skirmish begins where you do no control any of the runners. The Media gains +1 style.

Rocker Ideas

Runner

SR: ? LR: ? DEF: ? Cost: ? Style: ? Emp: ?
Rocker
://May attach two instruments.
“More talent then anybody else running the concert circuit.”

Event Cards

Denied Essential Need to Know Information

Cost: ?
://Play when a team declares a run on an operation. That operation has it’s M-Sec increased by 5.

No Substance, No Style

Cost: ?
://Any: Target a runner with a higher style than their power. Use that runner.
“You have to be able to back up your attitude y’know.” – Chess

Grenades

Stun Grenade

SR: 0 LR: 0 DEF: 0 Style: 0 Cost: ?
Grenade
://Skirmish: Discard this Stun Grenade to reduce the Power of the opposing runners by one. If this card leaves play, remove it from the game.

EMP Grenade

SR: 0 LR: 0 DEF: 0 Style: 0 Cost: ?
Grenade
://Skirmish: Discard the EMP Grenade to reduce the SR of all runners with cyberware by 3 until the end of the battle. If this card leaves play, remove it from the game.
“Damn those things shock the hell out of you!”

Frag Grenade

SR: 0 LR: 0 DEF: 0 Style: 0 Cost: ?
Grenade
://Skirmish: Discard the Frag Grenade to make the other player Trash one of their runners involved in the skirmish. If this card leaves play, remove it from the game.

Sponsors

Sovoil

://All cards with the Sov attribute are reduced in cost by 2 eb.
://

You can find Cyberpunk 2020 books in pdf and POD over at the: R. Talsorian DrivethruRPG page.

 

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Cyberpunk 2020 - Superconsumer part one

Superconsumer.

This is an article series looking at the consumer side of the dark future. When everything is about buying, selling, brand promotion and the ever forward movement of the capitalist machine. How it affect the characters, on a personal and professional level, from making money to being the product being sold. Of course this is highly inspired by many of the themes from the great cyberpunk series 'Max Headroom: Twenty Minutes into the Future'.

Television.

The number one tool for selling anything and for keeping the masses pacified. Corporations learned just how powerful it was early on and took measures to insure that it will be a constant in every single persons life. It provides a constant stream of propaganda, brainwashing and subliminal messages straight into the brains of all citizens.

Several years back after a long process of buying politicians through either hefty donations to their campaigns, under the table exchanges of cash and even blackmail the Corps made their move. Moving forth new laws under the guise of promoting the Emergency Alert System so that everyone can always be warned at anytime some big changes came forth. The off switch is made illegal, if they have a television turned off then the EAS can't be of use to protect the people. No more full mute on volume control for much the same reason. A television is required in every home, if you don't have a set one will be provided for you, granted one of very low quality but it's free. Finally it set up laws requiring the presence of television screens in businesses, on street corners, in churches, at schools, anywhere people may be. They made it an inescapable part of life from then on.

Punishments for trying to go against these new laws are as follows.

Possession of an 'off switch' for any television. 30 days minimum and 90 days maximum in jail for every remote in a persons possession.

Possession of a 'mute switch' for any television. 10 eb fine minimum and 100 eb fine maximum for every remote in a persons possession.

Destroying or rendering unusable a television. 90 days minimum and 180 days maximum in jail for every set destroyed.

A side affect has been a glut of new broadcast channels as nearly every corporation tried to get in on the deal. Thousands of channels are now available to everyone all day long. This has led to a lapse in quality programming as well since there is only so much money to go around in filling up that airtime.

Reality shows are at an all time high. Anything goes and every variation of a theme has been explored and re-explored, then rebooted and brought back over and over again. But they are cheap to make and there is never a lack of people volunteering to be in them for cheap prices as they hope for that five minutes of fame.

Live new channels. Lots of them. Every media out there is in constant contact with various operators trying to stream their footage of what is going on around them right now.

Lots of airtime is being filled with reruns of older shows. During the lowest viewer ship hours you will never see anything new. But instead you are fed the hit show from two years ago that everyone forgot about or something from the eighties for the really penny poor stations. Anything that has the least bit of popularity will be rented out to other channels the next year.

Working this aspect into your game.

Always point out where the televisions are when describing the area surround the PCs. Maybe a quick word about what is on if they are around them for any amount of time.

If things go south and guns are drawn be sure to mention that if they hit a television they may be held accountable by the law. If it's self defense then they may not be charged, or if they have a high enough reputation the prosecutor may choose not to press charges. But it's something they need to think about before pulling that trigger.

They also get hired by a network to track down somebody who is destroying televisions in various parts of the city. Or to track down a black market spot that sells off and mute switches.

Come back next week for another installment of the Superconsumer article series for Cyberpunk 2020.



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Pick up NeoTribes over on DrivethruRPG.

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Cyberpunk 2020 - Delusions of Grandeur

Delusions of Grandeur Clothing

You see those high fashion models walking the runway in their high cost elegant clothing that you always wanted but can't afford. But now you can. Today's most sought after designs at an economy level and you can't tell the difference (yes actually you can). Your friend will think you spent your last three paychecks on one outfit (no they won't) when you come out dressed in our replicas. All the quality and luxury (not even close) is now available to everyone.

The largest low cost clothing outlet stores in the nation. Delusions of Grandeur will sell you a knock off designer outfit that won't bust your savings... and probably won't last two spins through the wash. They are shameless in their advertising, most of it false or at least misleading, and promotion.

Any high fashion design that hits the marketplace they will have a knock off at 25% of the cost on their racks within a week. Constant clearance sales going on moving out stuff that went out of style just last month. Plus taglines like “Be Somebody”, “Look Your Best” and “Be Famous” splattered all over the place.

Basic Sponsorship package.

Delusions of Grandeur will accept just about any application for sponsorship. Ready to shake your hand and 'welcome you aboard' just as long as you slap their logo some where on your body.

The sponsor is required to wear DoG logo shirt or hat. The design is very prominent and can be picked up by the slave AI programs scanning the endless television channels and social media networks all day long. If it is caught on television in any fashion, good or bad, the amount of time is recorded. On social media the amount of hit or views a person receives is recorded. The data is then sent back to the DoG home office.

They receive a bonus of 1eb for each time they appear on television with the logo visible. With an additional 1eb for every minute they are on. For social media network they receive 1eb per 30k views. There is a maximum of 20eb payed out per month.

They also receive a discount card for the Delusions of Grandeur stores that gives them 10% off.

Advanced Sponsorship package.

Achieved once they have collected 150eb in payout.

The logo can now be on any article of clothing as long as it is prominently displayed. Just ask and they will likely provide you with whatever you want within a day or two.

They also receives the same payout based on television appearances/viewers but the maximum per month is raised to 60eb.

Now they receive a package in the mail once a month with a couple of random articles of clothing with the logo on them. Some it new, some appears to be from the clearance isle. It's always a mixed bag really.

Levels beyond this are all privately negotiated.

Joshua Duece, who has appeared in many a low quality forgettable reality show over the last five years, always seems to be wearing DoG clothing. On set for another series, while out eating or even when he's selling his backlog of clothing out of the back of his van at a street market. He apparently gets sent multiple packages a month and has even been in a commercial or two.

 

 

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Pick up Tales From The Forlorn Hope on DrivethruRPG.

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DrivethruRPG - Forced registration and...

Going through DrivethruRPG looking up some Rolemaster stuff for my brother and came across a red asterisk after all the titles. So I did a mouse over and got the following warning.

Talk about something I wasn't expecting.

Now it's not the forced registration that bothers me at all. After all I've been registered with Drivethru for years now.  But sending my email to the manufacturer? No thank you. Seriously in this day and age do I really want my email to be added to yet another database that I have no idea about the security of. That and there is no telling what it may actually be used for. Remember the guy who was trying to GoFundMe the wall recently was discovered to be selling the emails of donors to other groups to add to their mailing lists.

So all this does is scream one thing at anybody who sees it.

"Don't bother purchasing this, go pirate it instead"

Which is something any manufacturer doesn't want you to do. The harder you make it for somebody to get your product, the more hoops you have to jump through or the more strings attached to it, the more likely they will snag it for free someplace rather than dealing with it. Now I DO NOT suggest pirating books or gaming material, however I will point it out when companies seem to be doing everything they can to get potential customers to do so.

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TRON: Legacy (2010)

TRON: Legacy (2010)

Buy it over on Amazon now.

Man I had some really high hopes for this movie. I am a huge fan of the original and it had a major influence over my love of scifi and the way I envision 'the net' in table top roleplaying games. Watched it countless times. So when I heard they were finally making a sequel I was stoked. When I saw some of the promo stuff and the viral marketing techniques I got more optimistic. Then the first shots of the movie, the look, the bikes, clips of the action, it all looked so damned sweet. Finally we started getting the basic of the plot with the older Flynn trapped in the Grid, his son rescuing him, Clu, all that and hell I couldn't wait.

Then I saw the movie. Then I realized the basics of the plot weren't much more than that, basic.

Visually the movie is nearly a masterpiece. The only flaws are the scenes of the younger Kevin Flynn, the morphing of Jeff Bridges face, it really didn't work well enough and he appeared a lot more like a character out of the PolarExpress. But hey they give it a good try. But the way things looked, the development of what we saw in the TRON being taken to the next level and then further up. It was spectacular. A feast for your eyes. In the theater on the big screen it was mind blowing. This is the area where the film delivered so well.

Little touches really stood out. The programs in white that stripped Sam Flynn and re-equipped him were one such thing, how they walked and moved, it stood out. That bar named “End of Line”, a reference to the original movie and something that just seemed to fit so very well. World building at it's finest was there.

Oh and the soundtrack. Recruiting DaftPunk to do the music was a stroke of genius and whoever came up with that idea deserves a medal. Very fitting throughout as they flex their ability to deliver a wide variety of sound with different moods and feelings. Plus the helmet wearing due even get their own cameos tossed in as well.

But then we get to the actual story and that's where the big let down happens. Falling into the same trap several other movies do in just being 'okay' while trying to hold up a huge budget. You end up with a movie that feels only about half done because they used to much of their time in some sort of set up for another film to follow. The good guys are likable, the bad guys are bad and the twists or surprises are pretty much broadcast to the viewer well ahead of time. Another layer of polish was needed and somebody to put a stop to the blatant “this is for another movie” type of stuff that is throughout the entire run time.

Highlights of the movie are the action scenes, that is pretty much a given. All of the shots of the games, both the disc fights and the light bike battles. The melee in the End of Line bar was a bit blunted but still good. That final chase at the end with the light gliders was spectacular in my humble opinion, an edge of your seat moment.

So when it's all over and done with you have some very pretty bubble gum for the brain. You chew it but there is no nutritional value there. This is why I feel it faltered at the box office. No word of mouth on how good of a movie it was, just how pretty it looked. Which is really sad because all those hints of another sequel really make you want to see that come to fruition.

For any scifi fan it's a must watch. But when it comes to owning, just pick it up out of the discount bin instead of paying full price.

 

 

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Kill the fireworks buddy, you aren't getting to make another movie comeback after this.

 

Roll A D20 - Humorous Operation Names

Need a name for an operation that doesn't give away what it's about because you are all about OpSec? Well here are twenty humorous names for those ops.

1. Operation Flamingo Chicken
2. Operation Synaptic Twitch
3. Operation CyberFunk
4. Operation Forty Five Lies
5. Operation Squirrel Nuts
6. Operation Pony Mittens
7. Operation Butt Floss
8. Operation Brother Dude
9. Operation Seedless Grape
10. Operation Pretty Things
11. Operation Clutching Pearls
12. Operation Glitter Cleanup
13. Operation Monkey Paw
14. Operation Motivation
15. Operation Pink Duck
16. Operation Doughboy
17. Operation Combat Entertainment
18. Operation SlashFic
19. Operation Dish Soap
20. Operation Nerd Rage

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Cyberpunk 2020 - Three Techie built devices

Techies are always in the need for some extra bucks to spend to buy more gear and add to their stockpile of junk to scavenge from. So there are three items that Techies have been known to make for the right price.

Car Door Opener – 100eb

This is a small hand held device that can be built into most cellphones. It is a mix of both an app and some hardware. When you get near a vehicles door that has an electronic look, you activate the app which then spirals through a series of signal codes broadcast from the alterations made to the phone. It takes a D10 of seconds and then the door unlocks. Takes about an hour to build plus a day to write the app if you choose to do that yourself.

Tech + Electronics + D10 vs 15 to do the hardware modifications with about 10eb of extra bits.

Int + Programming + D10 vs 20 to write up a quick app or you can just download one off the net.

The OFF Switch – 25eb

Cannibalizing and old universal remote for televisions this device will turn off every television within a twenty foot radius. Altering the remote with a better power supply and a boosted signal broadcast it spirals through signals in ten seconds shutting off the televisions brand by brand. Takes about an hour to build.

Tech + Electronics + D10 vs 15 to do the hardware modifications with about 10eb of extra bits.

Spike Strips – 350eb

While police and military issue spike strips are strictly illegal for civilians and very expensive to purchase on the black market any Techie can whip a set of their own up. Usually packed into a briefcase or similar sized container these are pulled out and deployed in seconds. Spreading out to around ten feet in length with a nice array of steel spikes. One who isn't afraid to blow their hands off can build a set with small explosive charges that will blow the tires out for sure. Takes about a day to build, another day to install the explosive charges if you wish.

Tech + Basic Tech + D10 vs 15 to build with around 25 eb of scrap metal.

Tech + Demolitions +D10 vs 15 to add explosive charges to each spike using about a 2kg of C-6 Plastic Explosive and a few old batteries and some wire.

You can find Cyberpunk 2020 books in pdf and POD over at the: R. Talsorian DrivethruRPG page.

 

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Cyberpunk 2020 - Open Minds

One thing that never changes is that sex sells, and in 2020 it sells better than ever. Open Minds is there to do the selling. With a line of adults only stores across the country that cover ever desire one could have from videos to virtuals, girlfriends you can hide in your deck, toys that are manual and remote, nothing is taboo and they will sell it all. They also specialize in a series of high end brothels in major metropolitan areas with their largest being in Night City.

In the last five years this company has exploded on the market. Using aggressive marketing and not one to shy away from playing dirty to beat the competition. Most other adult specialty stores have folded up or sold to Open Minds. Many up and coming Solo's got early jobs as security at their shop grand openings and brothels. The owners have lots of connections and aren't afraid to use them.

Basic Sponsorship package.

Open Minds doesn't accept just any application for sponsorship. They require an interview process to help weed out anyone who is considered to abrasive or overly vulgar. Preferring well groomed, clean and professional acting candidates.

They are required to wear their choice of a T-shirt, headband or ballcap with the Open Minds logo and a unique serial code underneath. The design is very prominent and can be picked up by the slave AI programs scanning the endless television channels and social media networks all day long. If it is caught on television in any fashion, good or bad, the amount of time is recorded. On social media the amount of hit or views a person receives is recorded. The data is then sent back to the Open Minds home office.

They receive a bonus of 3eb for each time they appear on television with the logo visible. With an additional 2eb for every minute they are on. For social media network they receive 2eb per 30k views. There is a maximum of 30eb payed out per month.

They also receive a discount card for the Open Minds stores (not brothels) that grant them ten percent off any one purchase each month.

Advanced Sponsorship package.

Achieved once they have collected 150eb in payout.

The logo can now be on any article of clothing as long as it is prominently displayed.

They also receives the same payout based on television appearances/viewers but the maximum per month is raised to 60eb.

Their Open Minds card is upgraded to two purchases a month.

Levels beyond this are all privately negotiated.

Juliet Jewels aka 'Double J', the superstar transgender rockergirl has long been sponsored by Open Minds. Featuring their logo on her tour bus, on stage, clothing and even has it in a neon blue and red tattoo on her right shoulder. She sat the scandal magazines on fire four years back when a talk show host jokingly asked her if she ever thought about working at their brothel with her reply, “Well I'm a customer more than I could ever be an employee.” Afterwards she made a point to be seen visiting various locations with a big smile on her face.

You can find Cyberpunk 2020 books in pdf and POD over at the: R. Talsorian DrivethruRPG page.

 

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Cyberpunk 2020 - Puppy Mill

The most popular and well known pet store chain in Night City and many other major metropolitian areas is The Puppy Mill chain. With locations in downtown areas, shopping malls, the suburbs and even a few in the most high class areas they are very well known. While the popularity of having your own pet has died down a bit over the last decade or so the franchise managed to restructure and survive very well. Now they are pushing to be noticed again by through popular sponsorship programs.
  

Featuring some of the most popular genetically modified, and sometime pure bred, pets available in the world. Dogs specifically designed to be even more protective and responsive to commands of their owners. Cats that glow in the dark. Snakes that exude a calming pheromone. Not to mention they also offer kennels to rent for those who need to travel, veterinarian services and of course every pet accessory that you could ever dream of.

Basic Sponsorship package.

They are required to wear a plastic curved wrap on their forearm. Held in place with elastic straps, colored white with the Puppy Mill logo and a unique serial code underneath. The design is very prominent and can be picked up by the numerous slave AI programs scanning the endless television channels and social media networks all day long. If it is caught on television in any fashion, good or bad, the amount of time is recorded. On social media the amount of hit or views a person receives is recorded. The data is then sent back to the Puppy Mill home system.

They receive a bonus of 1eb per month. They also receive an additional 3eb for each time they appear on television with the logo visible. With an additional 1eb for every minute they are on. For social media network they receive 1eb per 10k views. There is a maximum of 20eb payed out per month.

They also get a subscription to Puppy Mill magazine. Full of news and pet tips every month.

Advanced Sponsorship package.

Achieved once they have collected 80eb in payout.

The logo forearm wrap is upgraded to a higher more durable grade of plastic and is held in place with Velcro straps or belt style straps that resemble a pet collar.   

They also receives the same payout based on television appearances/viewers but the maximum per month is raised to 40.

With their Puppy Mill magazine subscription they also receive a free small bag of Kennel Koff brand pet food each month. Plus additional coupons for Puppy Mill and Kennel Koff products.

Levels beyond this are all privately negotiated.   

Nomad Susie “Sweety” Sanchez is the most popular Puppy Mill sponsored of celebrity status. Although having retired from most work for a year now she still appears in ads for the chain. Usually with her eight multicolored cats and her genetically enhanced pit bull named 'Overbite'. Reportedly her animals have lifetime passes to the Puppy Mill kennels if she needs to go on a long term op along with top of the line medical care for them as well.

You can find Cyberpunk 2020 books in pdf and POD over at the: R. Talsorian DrivethruRPG page.

 

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The Last Dragon (1985)

 

 

The Last Dragon

Watch it digitally on Amazon.

Pick up the Blu-ray on Amazon.

Buy a kick ass Sho Nuff shirt on Amazon.

There are plenty of bad movies out there, piss poor scripts, actors, effects, etc. all rolled into one big log of crap that played out on a movie screen only to be walked out on. But then there are bad movies where the entertainment aspect somehow makes them a worth while watch. I refer to them as Great Bad Movies and they become cult classics with a hefty fan base. Now sometimes a company will try to make a bad movie to purposefully fall into that category which usually leads to an abysmal failure that nobody will ever remember. For a truly Great Bad Movie it has to be something that the people making it thought would be an actual great movie. A film they thought would rake in some bucks, get some decent reviews and be remembered fondly. But what they make is something else entirely. The Last Dragon is one of those movies.

Delphi III and Motown Productions thought they were making pure gold. Mixing the martial arts craze (which was actually starting to decline at this time) with the music video craze. Centered around a young martial arts student named Leroy Green, played by Tiamak, in his search for 'The Master' to begin his next level of training. Mixing it up with a street gang leader named Sho'nuff, a company ass named Eddie Arkadian and a host of others obstacles along the way. Not to mention being romanced by a girl named Laura and harassed by his own brother at the same time.

The plot is pretty thin. Sho'nuff wants to beat him for street cred, Eddie is after Laura and his little brother is just doing what younger siblings do. The bad guys eventually team up and Leroy has to fight his way through a final battle, win the girl and get his brother to respect him a bit. But the story isn't what really sells the movie.

Sho'nuff steals the movie. Every single scene actor Julius Carry is in he is the centerpiece despite anything else going on. The Shogun of Harlem is a scenery chewing, over the top, snarlfest of awesomeness. His entourage of gang members parade behind him wearing similar outfits reminding us all of The Warriors various medley of street thug designs. They are the bad guys without a doubt but you can't help but to want them on the screen more and more as the movie goes on.

Throughout you get music and plenty of eye candy shots of Laura played by singer Vanity. Eddie Arkadian, played by Christopher Murney, tries to get in there and ramp up his role but falls short of even becoming memorable by the time the credits roll. Leroy's entire family makes an appearance along with their hip eighties pizza parlor. Hell we even get to see the main character teach a bunch of wanna be street toughs how to play hop-scotch. Oh and we get to see somebody eating popcorn with chopsticks. How could you pass this up?

Not going to lie, I own this bad boy and it will never leave my movie library. For anybody who loves some eighties cheese piled onto some just fun to watch action without having to think very much at all... this movie is for you.

 

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Will somebody tell Leroy to take that thing off his head?

 

Although THIS is a sequel I would have loved to seen. 

 

Roll A D20 - Things to find in a gang members pockets.

20 things to find on a gang members body

1. A collection of cred sticks held together with a rubber band, only a D10 of credits on each of them.
2. A pair of scuffed up reading glasses.
3. Small bag full of ammunition, various calibers and types.
4. Bus pass that is good for the next two months.
5. Hand scrawled map of streets on the other side of the city.
6. Medicine bottle half full of heavy duty stimulants.
7. Half drank bottle of very cheap whiskey.
8. Pair of pliers and a couple of bloody gold teeth.
9. Set of brass knuckles with spikes on them.
10. Small collection of Virtual Vikie holo-porn discs.
11. Throw away phone with a few numbers stored in but no names on them, just a letter for each.
12. A cobbled together remote that will unlock most electric car door locks.
13. A small hand held police scanner.
14. Metal tin filled with the latest street narcotic to come along.
15. Pair of very stained up leather gloves.
16. Pack of condoms.
17. Bundle of business cards from various pawn and junk shops.
18. Bag containing a collection of various men's and women's jewelry.
19. Roll of duck tape.
20. An unloaded very small pocket pistol.

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Get your dark future fix over at DrivethruRPG in the Shadowrun 5th edition section.

Cyberpunk 2020 - Almost Meat Stix

Ask anyone in any downtown area about what is their favorite snack when they want something that resembles meat and tastes great and you will get one answer. Almost Meat Stix. Sold across the country in convenience stores, spirit shops, corner markets, bars and even at Madame Shades chain of higher class brothels. These wonderful meat-like slivers of joy are great for an anytime snack.

Each Almost Meat Stix pack of six costs only 2eb and come in a variety of flavors. Almost Original, Almost Spicy, Almost Sweet and even Almost Haggis for our kilted customers. Don't forget to pick up a pack of Almost Cheese Stix to go with it at their low cost of 2eb. Two great tastes that go Almost together.

The franchise offers sponsorship opportunities to those who have even the smallest chance of being noticed by the public eye. While they don't offer much they are aware that in the early beginnings of a runner, musician or sports players career every little bit helps them on their way.

Basic Sponsorship package.

They are required to wear a plastic curved wrap on their upper leg. Held in place with elastic straps, colored meaty red with the Meat Stix logo and a unique serial code underneath. The design is very prominent and can be picked up by the numerous slave AI programs scanning the endless television channels and social media networks all day long. If it is caught on television in any fashion, good or bad, the amount of time is recorded. On social media the amount of hit or views a person receives is recorded. The data is then sent back to the Meat Stix home system.

They receive a bonus of 1eb for each time they appear on television with the logo visible. With an additional 1eb for every minute they are on. For social media network they receive 1eb per 10k views. There is a maximum of 20eb payed out per month.

They also get a special Almost delivery service and receive a pack once every month containing a random assortment of Almost products.

 

Advanced Sponsorship package.

Achieved once they have collected 80eb in payout.

The logo leg wrap is upgraded to a higher more durable grade of plastic and is held in place with Velcro straps.

They also receives the same payout based on television appearances/viewers but the maximum per month is raised to 40.

Their Almost delivery now comes in every two weeks.

Levels beyond this are all privately negotiated.

Solo minor legend Finn “Final” MacGregor has been using their sponsorship for years. Has multiple coats, hats, boots and even some custom armor with the “Almost” logo sprayed across them. He also appears in many of their television ads with the tag lines of “It's Almost good!” and “All the meat you can Almost eat”. He also seems to have a never ending supply to hand out to fans at events.

You can find Cyberpunk 2020 books in pdf and POD over at the: R. Talsorian DrivethruRPG page.

 

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Cyberpunk 2020 - Slurps

This article is no longer free on my blog. It has been converted to a system and setting neutral state and is available on DrivethruRPG for only 75 cents as part of Sponsorship: Food and Drink.

 

Cyberpunk 2020 - Defense Designs

Defense Designs

A new company from the on the market specializing in custom firearms for an individuals protections. Bottom line they make polymer one shot pistols with various design and appearance options that are printed up and dispersed in five minutes at their specialty kiosks. The company itself is based out of Pacific rim region which is the kingdom of the cheap knock off in the first place. Although the internals only come in three actual designs it's the exterior that can be modified and adjusted to a persons desire.

First you slide your ID into a built in scanner to the system can run a background check before selling you a firearm. Do note that there is nothing in place to make sure you are using YOUR actual ID and not somebody else. Then you pick out the desired level of firepower: Light 6mm, Medium 9mm or Heavy 11mm. Note that Heavy is not available in all jurisdictions. Next you are given a wide variety out outside appearance options, everything look a likes to popular pistols, science fiction appearance and a variety of ones from other sources. You will select a color, even the choice of multiple colors and marbleized. A list of add on options will come up and the ability to place your own custom designed graphics or logos on to the handle or other flat surfaces.

Once all your options are finalized you are given a final price. Once paid the machine starts working selecting out the base internals from a stock inside the machine and using a high speed 3D Printer for everything else. After five minutes the finished product is dispersed through a slot in the front with one magazine with no rounds inside. Defense Designs usually has a ammunition kiosk nearby for easy use.

Costs:

Base pistol Light 60eb, Medium 200eb, Heavy 80eb in a single color.

Options at 1eb each: each additional color, flashlight, key ring loop, LED clock in grip, neon stripes,

Advanced options: individual logo or graphic 3eb, laser sight 3eb, marbleized color pattern 2eb, no scuff clear coat 3eb,

Weapon Stats:

Defense Designs Light 101 P – 0 – P – C – 1D6+1 (6mm) – 10 – 2 – ST – 50m

Defense Designs Medium 101 P – 0 – J – C – 2D6+1 (9mm) – 12 – 2 – ST – 50m

Defense Designs Heavy 101 P – 0 – J – C – 3D6 (11mm) – 8 – 2 – ST – 50m

Story Seeds.

Defense Designs is paying qualified people (Techies mainly) to go around and refill the kiosks when they start to run low on material. Pay is 25eb per servicing of a station and you use their provided minivans with the logo emblazoned on the side.

A gang has been causing trouble downtown and the PC' have been hired to shut them down. One of the leads is they all use Defense Designs pistols with their gang sign on them. The company will not give up any information so a Netrunner will have to hack their system to find out which Kiosks they use to print their guns at. Thus helping them narrow down where the gang is centered at.

 

You can find Cyberpunk 2020 books in pdf and POD over at the: R. Talsorian DrivethruRPG page.

 

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