Month: July 2013

“Vortex: Terra’s Pride” Update 5c.41 — Firefight for the “Firebrand”

Fellow role-players, here is my update for Session 5c.41 of the “Vortex” telecom space opera campaign, which met via Skype on Sunday, 21 July 2013. We’ve been using FATE 3e Starblazer Adventures /Mindjammer, Bulldogs, and an online dice roller.

In one future, humanity has started to overcome ecological challenges at the time of open and official First Contact with galactic societies. However, internecine war and the Zarkonian Armada devastate Earth and its colonies. A few million refugees, aided by some aliens, flee into deep space. Will heroes arise among them?

FATE 3e “Vortex: Terra’s Pride” (Team 3/5c) telecom Player Characters, as of summer 2013:

Acting crew of the scout ship Blackbird and corvette Dauntless:

  • “Capt. Kevin Reese” [Bruce K., primary]-male Terran “near-human” (cyborg), former Interplanetary Patrol officer and leader of the “Terra’s Pride” homeworld security task force
  • “Lt.Cmdr. Tela” [Sara F., secondary]-female Tharian (gargoyle-like alien), escapee from the Encegulans (slug-like slavers), fond of humans; engineer with boyfriend Kedar
  • “Lt.Cmdr. Brun Bearhammer” [Geoff C., secondary]-male Martian Ursoid “Synth” (“Uplifted” bear), former wrestler, pilot
  • “Tariq Asrad Saladin” [Beruk A., secondary]-male Terran “near-human” (mutant) wanderer with a past, investigator
  • “Chris McKee/Agent Prometheus” [Josh C., primary]-male Terran human, former assassin for the eugenicists at Black Box Security Co., sniper and seeker

See other records for the previous crews of the Pina Colada, Blackbird, Appomattox, and Gryphon.

“1 to 3 September 2195 A.D./C.E. or 1 Terran Galactic Era:” As the Zarkonian Armada attacked the Sol system, “Terra’s Pride” regrouped at Epsilon Eridani. The Ranger Corps task force then delivered a Transit (faster-than-light) drive to the Firebrand, a generation colony ship crewed by scientists.

Capt. Kevin Reese and Capt. Mark Tarthan supervise the installation of the new FTL engines. Tariq Asrad Saladin exchanges barbed words with Eshe Kalisha, his ex-wife.

Lt.Cmdr. Tela and robot Dr. Bucket help engineers Kamiko Chu, Georgio Napolitano, and Gabby Baluande update theFirebrand ’s antiquated systems. Chris McKee stays in his quarters to meditate.

Lt.Cmdr. Brun Bearhammer grows bored after giving astrogation advice to Charlie ibn Ali and condescending droid Astro-V. The burly pilot daydreams of “Ursoid” (“Synth,” “Uplifted” bear) women and a cold beer.

Lt. Nathan A. Jessup takes the callsign “Jellybean” and patrols the area in a Raptor II-class aerospace fighter. Capt. Aveeshi Stormsea, the Aquarian (amphibious humanoid alien) commander of the frigate Sovereign, reports that sensors have detected approaching spacecraft.

Nate goes to investigate and finds six long-range bogies. Kevin scrambles to another fighter, while Brun and Chris get back on the Blackbird. The Dauntless, Tigress, and Sovereign guard the Firebrand, while Tela and Tariq stay behind to continue their work.

Tariq evades Eshe and double-checks Dr. Surita Goldstein’s records regarding the health of the colonists. He finds no sign of infection from nanites (microscopic robots) emitted by the Zurmiz Krott/Harbingers of the Righteous Order of Submission, biomechanical probes of the Zarkonians.

The six incoming ships ignore Lt. Jessup’s fighter, as Lt.Cmdr. Bearhammer takes the Blackbird on a Transit microjump and an intercept course. “Jellybean” falls behind the unidentified spacecraft and blasts two of them.

Hammerhead in action
Fighter combat, from “Space: Above and Beyond”

Mr. McKee taps the Blackbird’s Olvar Star League database and identifies the attackers as Encegulans. This worries Lt.Cmdr. Tela, who was once enslaved by the slug-like aliens. The Encegulan vehicles head toward the Firebrand.

Gunner Chris destroys a third foe, as pilot Brun targets the engines of a fourth fighter. The Encegulans fire on the Blackbird but do little damage. Kevin’s Raptor destroys the lead ship and singes another.

Nate and Chris make short work of the last two vessels. Unfortunately, there is no alien technology left worth salvaging. Back on the Firebrand, Capt. Tarthan is grateful, and Capt. Reese asks that he join the refugee fleet with theIlokar battle group, which is headed toward Oasis Station.

Capt. Tarthan and his crew are reluctant to accept Terran military command, but they agree that the civilian colonists are too vulnerable in Zarkonian-held space.

Tariq delivers the corpse of a Zarkonian (crustacean alien) retrieved at Sirius/Canis Major to Dr. Goldstein for further study. He and Kevin also warn Capt. Tarthan about Elisha’s terrorist past and regal ambitions, but they are unable to obtain extradition.

Meanwhile, TX-29 fighter pilots Isabel Flaben, Jonas Ludivico [Beruk/Non-Player Character], and Kel Batista [Bruce/N.P.C.] greet Nate, Brun, and Chris as returning heroes. Chris raids “Dr. Srinu Pahul” [Byron] whiskey cabinet for the celebration.

Capt. Reese gets a letter of recommendation from Capt. Tarthan for the next slower-than-light ships, the Nova Aquarius and the Faithful Starlight. Lt.Cmdr. Bearhammer sets a course.

At the Nova Aquarius, which left Earth nearly a century ago crewed by megacorporate employees, Tariq’s scans find fewer life signs than aboard the Firebrand. The colony ship doesn’t reply to hails.

Brun brings the Blackbird to a landing bay, but the doors are closed, so he brings the scout ship in to dock. Nate and Chris ready tactical gear, as Tela prepares tools and the second FTL drive. Kevin designates three ensigns to join his away team….

I’m still catching up on notes for various one-shots and the “Vanished Lands: Vistel’s Circus” fantasy campaign. Brian, I enjoyed your Jenga-based SF scenario, and Jason, I look forward to your “Star Wars: Dark Times”miniseries (using Savage Worlds) this fall.

In the meantime, please remember to make sure that your P.C. records are up to date on Obsidian Portal and that I’m aware of any changes. Be seeing you, -Gene

Pacific Rim review

On Saturday, 13 July 2013, I met Josh C. at the AMC Burlington Cinema 10 for a morning matinee of Pacific Rim. The kaiju movie was entertaining, and even though it might not have the most original story of the year, it was a nice change from other franchise entries.

Pacific Rim wallpaper
Giant monsters vs. robots

I’ve been a fan of giant monster movies since childhood, with the Japanese Godzilla and Gamera in their kid-friendly prime back in the 1970s. Since then, I’ve come to appreciate the more serious allegories around the rubber-suited actors and remote-control vehicles tromping through meticulously detailed urban dioramas.

Plot: In Pacific Rim, huge aliens (kaiju) invade Earth through a dimensional rift in the seabed. Humanity builds giant robots (jaegers, or hunters) in response, but the nascent world government decides to shut the program down and instead spend resources on giant walls around vulnerable cities. Let the battles begin!

As with most monster movies, the kaiju represent the result of environmental destruction, and humanity must band together to remedy the situation. There are conspiracies, setbacks, and massive mayhem, but the heroes eventually realize what must be done….

Cast: All the archetypes of kaiju films (and their siblings in anime) are present: the hotshot pilot, the grizzled veteran, the cute but kickass girl, the mad scientists, and a few more sketchy characters needed to ultimately figure out the enemy’s motivations.

Sons of Anarchy‘s Charlie Hunnam plays Raleigh Becket, a onetime jaeger co-pilot who is brought back for a last stand against the kaiju. He’s a pretty straightforward hero, mentored by the charismatic Idris Elba (Thor) as Stacker Pentecost and partnered with the winsome Mako Mori as Rinko Kikuchi, who has also suffered personal loss.

More noteworthy are Charlie Day channeling J.J. Abrams as Dr. Newton Geiszler and Torchwood‘s Burn Gorman as Geiszler’s sparring partner Gottleib. Hellboy‘s Ron Perlman, no stranger to monsters or director Guillermo del Toro, nearly steals the movie as the flashy Hannibal Chau, a dealer in kaiju organs.

While there is some token character development, Pacific Rim rightly focuses on the monsters and robots. Each jaeger crew is a national stereotype (but without the jingoism of many U.S. action flicks), and there are few surprises but many thrills in the ensuing fights, both in and out of the jaegers.

Direction: Del Toro wears his love on his sleeve for the same movies I grew up on. He keeps a brisk pace to the action and avoids overindulging in romantic subplots or too much pseudoscience. Flashbacks provide exposition, and while older monster movies relied on long stretches of exposition, Pacific Rim doles out explanations throughout its runtime.

Del Toro also avoids the “found footage,” shaky-cam style that had become popular with The Blair Witch Project, Cloverfield, and Troll Hunter, allowing us to see full-body shots of the kaiju-jaeger battles, which were nicely choreographed. There are also some good human-scale duels.

Visual effects: Speaking of scale, while the monsters and robots are rendered with computer-generated imagery, they are more ponderous and distinguishable than in the recent Transformers flicks. The design of each kaiju resembles a real animal, and each jaeger design is unique. I can easily see toys or models based on these being popular.

Sure, there is massive urban destruction in Pacific Rim, but unlike Iron Man 3, Star Trek: Into Darkness, or Man of Steel, it’s a necessary part of this subgenre, and attempts are clearly made to evacuate affected areas in advance.

Musical score: The original Gojira still hasn’t been matched, but the soundtrack helped propel the action. Pacific Rim‘s action-filled opening and end credits (which I’d compare with those of Django Unchained) were also well done.

Ratings: I’d give Pacific Rim, which is rated PG-13 for violence and language, a B+, three and a half out of five stars, or an 8 out of 10. It was one of the most satisfying action movies of this year so far, and I’m glad that it wasn’t a sequel or a reboot.

I’d recommend Pacific Rim to any fan of kaiju, giant robots, or action-filled speculative fiction. We also saw several trailers, of which only the fantasy Seventh Son (not to be confused with the Orson Scott Card novels) looked interesting of those I hadn’t seen before. The next movie I hope to catch in the theater is the dystopian Elysium, and I look forward to the next iteration of Godzilla.

A weekend with the Westchester crew

This past weekend, Janice and I hosted Damon F.P. and Carlo R., two friends of mine since high school. They arrived from New York’s Westchester County on Friday, 19 July 2013. Janice made chicken enchilada casserole for dinner.

After a pancake breakfast on Saturday, we went into town for sightseeing. We stopped by the Outside the Box festival on the Boston Common and at Government Center. We also browsed at Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market before a satisfying lunch at Cantina Italiana in the North End, Boston’s Little Italy.

Fraters
Damon, Gene, and Carlo at Faneuil Hall, July 2013

Everyone was tired from the hot, humid weather, so we had gelato at Caffé Paradiso before heading back out to the suburbs (we avoided most of the crowds for the Yankees-Red Sox game). I showed the guys my office, and we had a salad dinner. We also touched base with other high school and college friends, including Steve M., Ron J.K., and Steve M.R.

It was great to chat about old times, relationships, politics and religion, and recent and upcoming genre entertainment. Carlo and I co-wrote The Zarkonian Bomb, a movie script, back in the early 1980s, so he was interested in the current “Vortex: Terra’s Pride” space opera game. Unfortunately, the guys didn’t get to meet any of the local role-players.

Speaking of genre entertainment, we watched the latest episodes of time-travel drama Continuum, the new and surprisingly strong animated Beware the Batman, and conspiracy show Zero Hour. Looking back, we rewatched Back to the Future and episodes of Star Trek: the Next Generation and Teen Titans. We didn’t get to the theater to see supernatural buddy-cop flick R.I.P.D.

On Sunday morning, Janice did her regular volunteering stint at the animal shelter. Damon and Carlo attended a Tridentine (Latin) mass at Mary Immaculate of Lourdes, a Roman Catholic Church in Newton. Janice made sloppy Joes for lunch, and the guys left at midafternoon.

After a year of no houseguests, we’re making up for lost time, with David I.S. & Sandra K., Byron V.O., and now Damon and Carlo! In two weeks, I’ll be seeing Stuart C.G., Ron, and Dave around the Boston Comic Con.

San Diego Comic-Con 2013 observations

In between other things this past weekend, I caught a bit of the online coverage of this year’s San Diego Comic Con, especially the following highlights.

Disney/Marvel showcased Agents of SHIELD (Joss Whedon’s upcoming TV show), The Wolverine and continuity-patching X-Men: Days of Future Past, and Thor 2: the Dark World (with a hilarious Tim Hiddleston in character as Loki). A little further out are espionage-flavored Captain America 2: Winter Soldier, likely blockbuster Avengers 2: Age of Ultron, and Guardians of the Galaxy, at whose panel Doctor Who‘s Karen Gillan revealed she had shaved her head.

X-Men cast, past and present
X-Men: Days of Future Past reunited cast members across eras

Warner Bros/DC had panels on the 20th anniversary of the excellent Batman: the Animated Series and the successful CW series Arrow. It also announced the title of live-action movie Superman/Batman, as well as Justice League: Flashpoint and War, which bring DC Comics’ “new 52” to animation. I’ve already blogged on how I’d approach the DC universe.

I’m not sure that Age of Ultron, which Whedon said won’t be based on comic book storylines involving Hank Pym, or the adversarial Superman/Batman, which draws from Frank Miller’s Dark Knight Returns, are good ideas. As much as I’ve enjoyed the latest wave of superhero adaptations, I’d like to see more variety, such as female-led movies, flicks that don’t rehash different origins in a formulaic way, and less tinkering to follow current trends.

There were panels for several of my favorite shows, including Doctor Who (which is celebrating its 50th anniversary), the potentially ending Psych, and the darkly fun Grimm. Conspiratorial Person of Interest has proven to be prescient, and I’ve been touting the underrated clone drama Orphan Black as the best new genre TV show this past year.

I also look forward to Season 2 of the animated steampunk/fantasy Avatar: Legend of Korra and Season 3 of the BBC’s Sherlock. Of the upcoming TV shows previewed in San Diego, I’m looking forward Almost Human the most.

Hollywood continued its domination of Comic Con, with previews of upcoming movies, including Godzilla and Veronica Mars. There was some comic book news, but it was overshadowed by other media. Of course, there were lots of fans in costume.

I’ve been to a number of genre entertainment events already this year, and I look forward to the Boston Comic Con, Super MegaFest, the Rhode Island Comic Con, and possibly the New York Comic Con!

“Vortex: Terra’s Pride” Update 5c.40 — Into the black

Fellow role-players, here is my update for Session 5c.40 of the “Vortex” telecom space opera campaign, which met via Skype on Sunday, 14 July 2013. We’ve been using FATE 3e Starblazer Adventures /Mindjammer, Bulldogs, and an online dice roller.

In one future, humanity has begun to colonize the Sol system, but environmental degradation, population pressures, and internecine conflict persist. The rediscovery of mystical abilities and open and official First Contact with galactic societies, themselves at war, threaten Terra’s very survival. Can heroes rise to the challenges ?

FATE 3e “Vortex: Terra’s Pride” (Team 3/5c) telecom Player Characters, as of summer 2013:

Crew of the refitted space yacht Pina Colada:

  • “Capt. Kevin Reese” [Bruce K., primary]-male Terran “near-human” (cyborg), former Interplanetary Patrol officer and member of the Blackbird and Dauntless crews; homeworld security task force commander
  • “Cmdr. Jasmine” [Sara F., primary]-female Martian Felinoid “Synth” (“Uplifted” tiger), former pit fighter and crewmember of the Appomattox, searching for a homeworld for her people
  • “Hector Chavez” [Beruk A., primary]-male Terran human, former spy and crewmember on the Appomattox, cautious engineer and communications expert
  • “Chris McKee /Agent Prometheus” [Josh C., primary]-male Terran human, former assassin for the eugenicists at Black Box Security Co., sniper and seeker aboard the Blackbird and Pina Colada
  • “Orion Starchaser” [Geoff C., primary]-male Pomuyan (blue telepathic humanoid alien), irrepressible mystic and thrill-seeking galactic hitchhiker
  • “Dr. Srinu Pahul” [Byron V.O., primary]-male Terran “near-human” (genetically modified) xenobiologist, curious and planetary patriot; with robot PEPE
  • “Chiron” [Dexter V.H., primary/absent]-male (secretly android) pilot, assigned to assess and protect humanity

Acting crew of the experimental scout ship Blackbird:

  • “Lt.Cmdr. Brun Bearhammer” [Geoff C., secondary]-male Martian Ursoid “Synth” (“Uplifted” bear), former wrestler, pilot
  • “Lt.Cmdr. Tela” [Sara F., secondary]-female Tharian (gargoyle-like alien), escapee from the Encegulans (slug-like slavers), fond of humans; engineer with boyfriend Kedar
  • “Tariq Asrad Saladin” [Beruk A., secondary]-male Terran “near-human” (mutant) wanderer with a past, investigator
  • “Lt. Nathan A. Jessup” [Byron V.O., secondary]-male Terran human, gung-ho Union of Solar Nations space marine and pilot
  • “Lord Wallace Tubbington III” [Josh C., secondary]-male Olvar (arboreal, mammal-like alien) swashbuckler and diplomat for the Kharvamid Alliance
  • “Enkidu Aristheon” [Dexter V.H., secondary/absent]-male Seranen (pale empathic humanoid alien) exile, wilderness survival expert curious about Terrans and the Zarkonian threat; with sphinx-like companion Glaucon
  • “Lt.Cmdr. Sebastian Growlick” [Bruce K., secondary]-male Felinoid “Synth” (“Uplifted” lion), elite soldier, killed attacking the Zarkonian Armada with the frigate Crazy Horse

See other records for the previous crews of the Blackbird, Appomattox, and Gryphon.

“29 to 31 August 2195 A.D./C.E. or 1 Terran Galactic Era:” The Blackbird meets the rest of its Terran task force at Epsilon Eridani as the Zarkonian Armada attacks the Sol system. Capt. Kevin Reese reports on the sacrifice of Lt.Cmdr. Sebastian Growlick to his fellow commanders. He also passes along the Union of Solar Nations space navy’s informal “Ranger Corps” designation.

Hector Chavez scans for communications from besieged Earth, while Tariq Asrad Saladin checks the new passengers. Cmdr. Jasmine hopes to track down her ex-boyfriend Darcy, and Tela worries about Encegulan allies of the armada.

Chris McKee is eager to engage the enemy and possibly change the course of battle. Lord Wallace Tubbington III expresses interest in helping the civilian fleet being escorted by any one of the surviving Terran battle groups.

Orion Starchaser prepares recordings to send to the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Lt.Cmdr. Brun Bearhammer asks to be reassigned from the yacht Pina Colada to the warship Dauntless.

Dr. Srinu Pahul introduces his new nurse, Keila Sunitha Ciela. Lt. Nathan A. Jessup familiarizes himself with the Raptor II-class aerospace fighters aboard the Dauntless. Chiron checks astrogation records, and Enkidu Aristheon attends to Glaucon.

Kevin recommends keeping the task force together to determine the status of three slower-than-light (STL) generation ships now behind enemy lines. Jasmine and Orion agree.

Chris is skeptical that the Firebrand, Nova Aquarius, and Faithful Starlight have survived, but Brun notes that there’s a good chance the Zarkonians missed them in deep space. Chris suggests splitting up and sending a ship to investigate ancient alien technology at Van Maanen’s Star.

Srinu asks about the Precursor jump gate at Oasis Station. However, onetime crew members from the Blackbird point out that the interstellar crossroads is a Terran month away, even at high Transit (faster-than-light) speeds.

Capt. Reese reluctantly agrees to split the task force. Cmdr. Jasmine is to take the Pina Colada to Van Maanen’s Star. She is joined by engineer Hector, scientist Srinu, diplomat Wallace, and mystic Orion. Chiron serves as pilot, and junior medical officer “Hawkeye James” [Bruce] is assigned to that ship.

Meanwhile, the Blackbird will lead the search for the STL colony ships. Brun is designated as acting captain. The “Uplifted” Ursoid is excited to take command for the first time. Tharian engineer Tela stays with the biomechanical ship, as does investigator Tariq.

Kevin leads the more military crew of the Dauntless, including pilot Nate and sniper Chris. The Blackbird and Dauntless are joined by the patrol ship Tigress, with (Kevin’s onetime lover) Capt. Elektra Contos, and the frigateSovereign, with Capt. Aveeshi Stormsea, an Aquarian (amphibious humanoid alien) exile.

Hector checks records regarding the generation ships, which left Earth decades ago. The Firebrand included scientists among its passengers, while the Nova Aquarius was crewed by megacorp employees after the First Interplanetary War. Religious wars led to the construction of the Faithful Starlight.

Star map for GURPS "Vortex" space opera
Rough map of “Vortex” space

The Blackbird, Dauntless, Sovereign, and Tigress head toward Altair and find the colony ship Firebrand. The Terrans are cautious, since the Firebrand launches a fighter escort and still has potentially dangerous defense systems.

Capt. Reese hails Capt. Mark Tarthan, who invites him aboard. Capt. Tarthan, a third-generation biologist, introduces his first officer, planetologist Betty Stovashi, and chief engineer, physicist Kamiko Chu.

Kevin asks to talk privately with Mark, who takes him and Chris to his cabin. They discuss the deteriorating political situation on Earth, the Zarkonian Armada’s invasion of the Sol system, and refitting the Firebrand with a Transit drive. Dr. Bucket, the Blackbird’s U.S.N. robot, projects holograms and technical specifications before going to help Tela.

Amid antique fusion generators, overgrown life-support systems, and tangles of circuitry, Lt.Cmdr. Tela meets fellow engineers Georgio Napolitano and Gabby Baluande. The helpful Tharian immediately sets to improving their systems’ efficiency.

Lt.Cmdr. Bearhammer goes to the command and control center, where he finds friendly astrogator Charlie ibn Ali and aloof robot Astro-V. He shows them how to prepare for Transit as Capt. Tarthan announces that the Firebrand will be gaining FTL capability.

Lt. Jessup chats with TX-29 fighter pilots in the hangar bay, including bored Isabel Flaben, old-school Jonas Ludivico [Beruk/Non-Player Character], and proud Kel Batista [Bruce/N.P.C.].

Tariq goes to the biomedical deck, where he transfers files to Dr. Surita Goldstein, who is impressed at humanity’s advances since her grandparents left Earth. She shares odd fruits and vegetables cultivated in the ship’s hydroponic gardens.

Tariq also experiences a flashback to a bombing incident in Istanbul from many years ago. The wanderer turns and finds Eshe Kalisha, a woman he knows all too well….

Now that I’m caught up on “Vortex” notes, all I need to do is do the same for the “Vanished Lands” fantasy campaign! Remember to update your P.C.s on Obsidian Portal, and let me know of any changes to them or your ships.

I look forward to Brian’s Jenga-based social science fiction one-shot next Monday and to character creation for this fall’s “Star Wars: Dark Times” game at “JasonCon” the week after that! Be seeing you, -Gene