Walsingham

I would disagree. But you know that. As for France beinga strong ally, this can only be a product of France's domestic 'problems'. herr economic interests are very much opposed to those of the US as she is currently organised. In particular the areas of defence manufacture, oil exploitation, and agriculture. Therefore she cannot be a proper ally in the long run.

I'm really chuffed that this has sparked such a good discussion. My only gripe is that so many posts are worth ploughing through for all their points! Curse you all and your reasoned debate! I can't really add to the views already aired. I think I'd agree with Eldar in the main. My own view of High versus low fantasy is really rated not by the amount of magic, or even other variations from physical reality as we epxerience it. But in terms of the moral dimension. High fantasy has pure good people and pure bad people. The lower you get the more 'dirty' and grey things become. This is why WHFRP is called 'low' fantasy. Because of all the darkness imbued by the Chaos powers.

It's all part of the mudslinging I have come across, where cretins rant at one another in obscurely mild language. I mean how quintessentially English (although obviously American) to use a word like 'liberal' or 'conservative' as a mortal insult? Why not calll them 'temperate'? Or 'considered'? :D 'Conservatives' seem to find it appalling that a free democracy can produce people who criticise it. 'Liberals' find it shocking that a system which has been built after rigorous criticism may find people living in it who feel inclined to defend it. I find it shocking that anyone could consider themselves in either camp. Although I'd say I was more conservative than liberal [bearing in mind that these things are not actually opposed in any literal sense]. Nevertheless, Hades, you can easily find people who ARE nearly 100% in either camp. They pay money to belong to your political parties, and are the tub-thumping ninies who get to vote in the primaries and pre-select the presidential candidates.

People can and do get killed for this kind of behaviour. Maybe she ain't more special than some, but I'll salute her for being more gutsy than me!

I'm getting my comments from the back of cereal packets. Speaking of characters, I've noticed that with me being too busy to play rpgs, I've been 'leaking' anti-social and crazy tendencies into my daily routine. I've also been randomly embarking on mini-quests.

Well, I'm no doctormarote, but I do specialise in ww2 history for fun. And particularly the behaviour of the various general staffs.

I choose South Africa. Best goddamn land in the world. Diamonds, gold, Iron aplenty, tough people, wood, grassland you name it. Advisors: [P.J.O'Rourke]Actuary - Having read his book 'Eat the rich'. It begins with the question "How come some places just suck?" [isembard Kingdom Brunel]Civil engineer - Quite possibly the single finest and most succesful civil engineer of all time. [My Mate's dad]Medical practitioner - I don't know any really good medics. So I'll settle for a good old fashioned Jewish doctor with a beard. [Max Hastings]Historian - Not a mediaeval historian, but a good man in a crisis. [Hunter S. Thompson]Legal advisor - He would be perfect, and would enjoy dressing up in the feathers of an African sangoma. Plus he would scare the bejeeezus out of enemies of the State. Would also make certain I didn't abuse the privileges of rank.

There are thousands of even braver women in Afghanistan risking life and limb simply by trying to get an education. It is quite normal for them to have acid thrown in their faces, up in the boondocks, and their teachers have been beheaded. But I'd wager that's more to do with rednecks than Islam. Point is, courage is all around us.

Steve playing an evil character?

Exactly as you say. Tolkein made elves and dwarves into what we now think of them as. Dwarves used to be evil. Just for starters. And Orcs are completely his creation. As are hobbits.

What if... J.R.R. Tolkein had been killed during WW1, and had never written his Middle Earth stories? No orcs, no hobbits, none of a great many things, but especially would Fantasy have become popular, and if that didn't happen what would geeks be doing now?

Metadigital ftw!

I don't think it translates to CRPGS, but we sometimes used a two man team for refereeing. You have the main GM who handles the plot, and planning, and an assistant GM who handles most of te acting and dialogue.

Rommel was good tactically, but he showed little operational cognition. Just the usual attack anywhere they are weak. And in any case he was just as hampered by Hitler's mad ntions about strategy as all teh other German generals.

They were only successful when we used generals whose notion of a supreme HQ did not include things like a radio. Or telephones. the Nazis had no operational dimension to their thinking, and their strategic direction was handled by someone with intuitive genius, and conscious idiocy.

Even the chaotic have a method to their madness. Why be a hammer in a given situation when one can be deadly and precise like a surgical scalpel? <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Why be a fiddly scalpel when you can be a hammer, especially if someone is good enough to play Verdi's anvil chorus while you do it! *Does the dance of smush!*

If I understand correctly, you are wondering if there isn't some damn way you can have more control over your party. Well, there is. but you're going to have to play 'classic' games on a PC. :D Join us.........

I suspect you are going to have to go on some kind of quest. I can give you more information, but I'm too busy right now, looking for someone to take this stuffed cat to my friend in Outer Mongolia. a. certainly I'll take your stuffed cat to Outer Mongolia. b. You better tell me what you know, or I'm setting teh nose goblins on you. c. I'll come back later.

Update: do not buy the BGS boxed set without the original 'mini-series' as well. The mini series is in fact the 4 hour initial 'episode'. Without it the boxed set makes li8ttle to no sense. Very shabby, but not much to be done. Amazon still have a good offer on both DVDs.

Saw Descent on pay-per-view last night. A couple of good jumps, and some chunky rotting flesh. Nice.

I got invited to a mediaeval banquet a few years ago. Great hunks of meat, and surprisingly spiced food, with all the cloves and such. Served on bread trenchers. We drank mead, and ale from goatskins. And there was singing. But no sleeping it off on straw pallises, thankfully.

Back on track, please.

It is a fantastic campaign. Have you tried www.abebooks.com? They sometimes have second hand RPGs.

I not talking about singing to her! This is so I can let out the blues when she's gone. Relationships are, of course, personal, and talking about them on a forum is slightly silly. But forcing yourself to be a little silly helps with preventing taking it too seriously. Which is obviously a good thing. In general, though I really enjoy singing. Sing when I'm happy. Sing when I'm sad. I also play blues harmonica.

I wouldn't normally do this, but my moderating colleagues can always spank me later... I just ordered the whole of Galactica season 1, AND the film Serenity for less than 30 quid, from Amazon.co.uk. A 64% discount on Galactica even as a standalone. If you are going to buy, I'd recommend checking it out. +++IMPORTANT+++ The boxed sets I have received do NOT contain the feature length season beginning. This makes little sense, as the episode '33' does not serve as a reasonable beginning point without the lead up. I do not know if this is peculiar to the Amazon edition. +++Still more important+++ the original trailer lead-up, is called on its box a 'mini-series', and is available from Amazon at 54% discount, and can be bundled with the rest of the series for a very reasonable price. The alternative is to buy the lot at a total of more than 60 quid! <_<