Monday, July 30, 2012

Hobbit now a trilogy




Here’s Jackson’s full Facebook announcement:
It is only at the end of a shoot that you finally get the chance to sit down and have a look at the film you have made. Recently Fran, Phil and I did just this when we watched for the first time an early cut of the first movie – and a large chunk of the second. We were really pleased with the way the story was coming together, in particular, the strength of the characters and the cast who have brought them to life. All of which gave rise to a simple question: do we take this chance to tell more of the tale? And the answer from our perspective as the filmmakers, and as fans, was an unreserved ‘yes.’
We know how much of the story of Bilbo Baggins, the Wizard Gandalf, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur will remain untold if we do not take this chance. The richness of the story of The Hobbit, as well as some of the related material in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, allows us to tell the full story of the adventures of Bilbo Baggins and the part he played in the sometimes dangerous, but at all times exciting, history of Middle-earth.
So, without further ado and on behalf of New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wingnut Films, and the entire cast and crew of “The Hobbit” films, I’d like to announce that two films will become three.
It has been an unexpected journey indeed, and in the words of Professor Tolkien himself, “a tale that grew in the telling.”
Cheers,
Peter J

Monday afternoon mythos.

What could make your Monday  worst.  Squid invasion!!

http://youtu.be/Q-wfj0QyOVs

Libor scandal is no match for its medieval precedent

Libor scandal is no match for its medieval precedent

Nice article that show the 16 member libor lunch mates was nothing new.

A+ behavoir

http://www.montecookgames.com/a/" target="_blank">http://www.montecookgames.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/aplus_monte2-11.png">

Taking the pledge to not be game negative in August. I will also attempt to play some new games.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Gary Gygax: The Father of Games Design | GamesIndustry International

Gary Gygax: The Father of Games Design | GamesIndustry International

Obsidian Apocalypse Kickstarter - YouTube

http://youtu.be/cNmVx5gVP7E

Obsidian Apocalypse Kickstarter Thank You for your support! - YouTube

Is Peter Jackson ruining the Hobbit movie.

‘The Hobbit’ Filmmakers In Serious Talks With Warner Bros For A Third Film

Director Peter Jackson comments about a third possible Hobbit film might not have been just a tease. The Comic-Con panel discussion comments might actually become a reality and The Hobbit could make it to the trilogy hall of fame after all.
The Hollywood Reporter revealed that director Jackson has resolved to turn his upcoming two-film adaptation of the J.R.R. Tolkien epic into a trilogy. THR reveals (through a source close to the production) that Jackson wants to “to tell more of the incredible tale with the cast.”

Does The Hobbit need a trilogy?

The third installment would require additional footage that could be filmed next summer in New Zealand. Sources say that Warner Bros, Jackson, The Hobbit producers and writers have all been looking into the logistics of making a third film. The talks, which occurred over the last couple of days, show that the studio is on board “if the right financial arrangements can be achieved”, reports THR. This includes reaching new deals with actors as well as getting the necessary rights.
The move for a third film was fueled by Jackson. The THR source says:
[the move towards a trilogy is] strongly driven by the filmmakers’ desire to tell more of the story.”
I love it when movie legends listen to their fans. It makes me feel appreciated. I now have even more respect for the creative legend and his amazing team. This Christmas season just got a whole lot sweeter!
The first in the soon-to-be trilogy, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, will be hitting theatres on December 14th, with the second film, The Hobbit: Part 2. There and Back Again, scheduled for release a year later on December 13, 2013. The third film will probably follow a year later, sometime in 2014.
moviepilot.com

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Johnn Four has a new e-book available for free.

Hola!
I have a few admin items to take care of with you, including announcing a new ebook I whipped up last week you can get right now.

Download 7 Ways to Instantly Improve Your GMing
Display images to see this pic
I just released a short ebook titled "7 Ways to Instantly Improve Your GMing" and it's free to you as a Roleplaying Tips subscriber.
It consists of a few articles from the archives updated and expanded for your GMing reference:
  • How to Improve Your Voice
  • Game Master as Public Speaker
  • Top 5 Ways to More Compelling Encounters
  • 5 Tips to a Truly Evil Villain
  • 10 Ways to Surprise Your Players & Enjoy the Fun
  • 8 NPC Parley Tricks
  • 6 Devious Villain Tactics
I hope you find this advice useful.
Download the ebook now!

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Gaming Paper Pirate Encyclopedia by Erik Bauer — Kickstarter

Pathfinder compatible sourcebook for players and GMs that reflects adventuring in a setting similar to the golden age of piracy
  • Launched:Jul. 25, 2012
  • Funding ends:Aug. 05, 2012
  • Don't want to forget? We'll remind you by email 48 hours before funding ends.
Welcome to adventure on the high seas! You are currently reading about Gaming Paper's first sourcebook, full of character options. Herein you will find a multitude of new feats,archetypes,spells,races,and equipment to more accurately reflect adventuring in a setting similar to the golden age of piracy on Earth, but with the fantasy twist common to Pathfinder games.
In Chapter1: Sirensand Saurins,players and gamemasters will meet new races such as the hekona,octopus-men with a penchant for exploration; the crocodilians, a newly-formed empire with expansion in mind; and the neirids, who inspired the legends of sea-nymphs. All three are presented as playable races, with two race-specific archetypes each.
Chapter 2: Heaving Sheets and Topping Bootsprovides players with the opportunity to peruse dozens of new character options for every character class, from alchemist to witch. Equipment, feats, spells, and archetypes not specific to races can be found here.
Intended for use by game masters,Chapter 3: Ten Fathoms Deep contains essays on the art of game mastery, with an eye towards how to meet and exceed player expectations for adventures with buried treasures and pirate curses. This chapter also includes some brief looks into the history and practices of cultures with strong sailing traditions. This section is intended to advise the gamemaster on how to make certain his adventures have an authentic feel for those with varying levels of familiarity with nautical fiction or history.
Please help us Kickstart this project!


Gaming Paper Pirate Encyclopedia by Erik Bauer — Kickstarter

Obsidian Apocalypse Campaign Templates for Pathfinder RPG by Louis Porter Jr. — Kickstarter

The Obsidian Apocalypse is a post-apocalyptic survival horror table top RPG template campaign setting for the Pathfinder RPG.
  • Launched:Jul. 23, 2012
  • Funding ends:Sep. 03, 2012
  • Don't want to forget? We'll remind you by email 48 hours before funding ends.
The Obsidian Apocalypse campaign setting is a post-apocalyptic survival horror table top RPG campaign setting for the Pathfinder RPG. Obsidian Apocalypse is an updated and re-visioning of the original Obsidian Twilight campaign setting release during the summer of 2013. The Obsidian Apocalypse will serve as the premiere setting templates for post-apocalyptic survival horror genre for Pathfinder. The reason that we are having this kickstarter project is to generate the funds we need to pay for the cost of printing this sourcebook and getting out to the premiere retail gaming stores.
The Obsidian Apocalypse is written by:
  • James ‘Grim’ Desborough (Obsidian Twilight)
  • Robert “Bob” E Drouin (Paizo RPG Superstar contestant)
  • Richard Pett (Pathfinder Adventure Path)
  • Owen K.C. Stephens (D20 Star Wars, Gamma World, The Wheel of Time)
  • Rich Redman (D20 Modern, Unearthed Arcana)
  • Plus many more…
This project is being overseen by Louis Porter Jr. who has been involved in the RPG industry for the last decade starting with the creation and development of Haven: City of Violence campaign setting, which is the only RPG to receive a movie option by Radical Comics owner, Barry Levine, before the game was released. Over the last decade, Louis Porter Jr. has release over 500 RPG related products in both the traditional brick and mortar retail store and the online PDF market.
Background:Since 2000, the d20 System gaming license and the Open Game License (OGL) have allowed publishers to share a common framework for creating roleplaying games using the System Reference Document (SRD), which contains the same core mechanics as those found in Wizards of the Coast's Dungeons & Dragons 3rd edition. Under the OGL, third-party publishers use the SRD as the basis of many different games. Paizo Publishing expanded the concept of the OGL with their creation and development of the Pathfinder Resource Document (PRD) and in turn made a successful open gaming system.
Patronage and Funding:The fundraising goal we have for this project is $5,000 in a little under 40 days. (Starting July 28 thru September 3, 2012) We feel that amount will be enough to make the high level quality product that we have planned for Obsidian Apocalypse.
Process:To provide a starting framework of how this project will perform, I am drawing on my years of experience in the game design process, particularly the time spent developing, editing, and providing rules support for the over 500 RPG products I have done over the last decade. We will provide specific patrons with the ability to provide input and guidance on the Obsidian Apocalypse on what works, what doesn’t and (most importantly) what things we may not have yet thought of. Senior patrons will have particularly substantial influence, and we will experiment with different collaboration tools to find what works best for this project. Becoming a patron on this project is a great way to gain a design credit on the book, which in turn is a great way to gain experience and build a resume for those interested in pursuing a career in game publishing!

Obsidian Apocalypse Campaign Templates for Pathfinder RPG by Louis Porter Jr. — Kickstarter

Monday, July 23, 2012

Red Dwarf New Series

The Boys are Back!

The first trailer for the new series of Red Dwarf is out and by the looks of it the Boys from the Dwarf are on top form.
http://youtu.be/mQ7nAcn52Z0

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Cool pictures of Castle

Predjamski Castle built within a cave mouth in southwestern Slovenia.

First written records exist from 13th century, though the first part (left wing) was probably built in the first half of 12th century. Middle part was added in renaissance, and the right wing was build around 1570.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Egyptian gods and goddess I

AAH
Also known as AA, AH

A picture showing the legend of AAH taken from our Egyptian mythology archives. Illustration by Chas Saunders. Read the story below or search the index for more Egyptian Gods, Egyptian Goddesses, heroes, demons and monsters!

Old Moon God. A shadowy figure who appears to work behind the scenes pulling strings.

He's best pals with KHONSU, OSIRIS and THOTH, but seems strangely superior to them. Perhaps because he rules the 360-day moon calender which governs the year.


AAH is best known for gambling away five days of moonlight in a dice game. Because RA had laid a curse upon Sky Goddess NUT, she could not give birth to a child on any day of any year. So the sympathetic THOTH gambled with AAH and won five days worth of moonlight. (And as any cosmological person will know, moonlight is not measured in litres or kilograms, but hours and days.)

THOTH took this moonlight, divided it into five days and inserted it into the month of July. Because these extra days were not covered by RA's curse, NUT discovered she could give birth during that time.

So ISIS, OSIRIS, HORUS, SET and NEPHTHYS are all July babies. And the year has remained 365 days ever since.
 
 

AKEN

The Ferryman. He's the husband of AMENT, the Underworld hospitality Goddess, and carries the souls of the dead to her in his little papyrus boat.

He dresses in nautical fashion but spends most of his time sleeping at the wheel. Hobnobbing with the dead must have a slumberous effect.                
 
 
Whenever a soul comes along asking for passage, they have a terrible time trying to wake him up. It's depressing to realise that public transport is subject to delay even in the afterlife.
 
 

ANAT

War Goddess and love of SET.

She was imported from Mesopotamia where she had been associated with BAAL under the name of ANATH. She got herself into a spot of bother in stealing a sacred bowl which had to be sorted out by EL. So we presume she decided it was time to move on.
 
Egypt welcomed her as a warrior Goddess and she didn't waste much time in setting up a liasion with SET.
 
 

Friday, July 20, 2012

Six Word Story Challenge by Gentleman Gamer.

Can you tell an intriguing story with only six words? Accept the challenge from Gentleman Gamer.




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Mythbusters' Adam Savage's incognito Comic-Con costumes -- PHOTOS


Mythbusters' Adam Savage's incognito Comic-Con costumes -- PHOTOS

Tags: News
Photo credit: Rahoul Ghose
shadow-knight
Image Credit: Rahoul Ghose
Photo credit: Rahoul Ghose
Photo credit: Rahoul Ghose
Photo credit: Rahoul Ghose
Photo credit: Rahoul Ghose
sdcc-rocketman
Image Credit: Rahoul Ghose

ENnies Voting Booth is now OPEN! Vote now!

ENnies Voting Booth is now OPEN! Vote now!


The voting booth for the 2012 Gen Con EN World RPG Awards is now OPEN. Voting runs from July 20-29, 2012! The 2012 ENnies ceremony will take place on Friday, August 17 at 8 p.m. in the Union Station Grand Hall at Gen Con Indy.

Before voting, please take the time to familiarize yourself with the products. The product titles link to their publisher's websites, allowing you to learn more about that product.

For most categories, you have five choices (with the the exceptions being 10 each for Fans' Favorite Publisher and Product of the Year). When you vote for products, rank them by selecting 1 for your first choice, 2 for your second choice, and so on. Ranking more than one product the same will result in an error. You do not have to, and are not expected to, place votes in every category!

If you don't like a product, don't vote for it. You cannot hurt a product's chances of winning by ranking it poorly. To the contrary, you'll help it out if the race goes down to the wire. This system is called an instant runoff.

In the end, we at the ENnies subscribe to the democratic principle of "one person, one vote." We ask that you not vote more than once (this includes voting on different devices (computers, smartphones, etc.)) and that you not ask others to do the same in order to "stuff the ballot box." As such, you will not be able to return to this ballot once you've submitted your selection.


There are TWO voting booths waiting for your votes. The first is the product awards votnig booth, and the second is the 2013 judge election booth.

TOURNAMENT OF DEATH 1 & 2 - Fantasy Novels by Steve Sullivan — Kickstarter

TOURNAMENT OF DEATH 1 & 2 - Fantasy Novels by Steve Sullivan — Kickstarter

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Yet More Roman gods and goddess III

ANGERONA

Hush-hush Goddess of Secrecy.
She knows how to keep her mouth shut — she wears a gag. Not even the Mafia could get her to reveal the secret name of Rome, which could cause the downfall of that city. After all Rome wasn't built in a day — it just looks like that.
We imagine that in modern times ANGERONA may have turned her expertise to espionage. She would probably also be a very good Goddess for P.I.N. number protection and securing passwords.

ANGITA

Goddess of Healing and Witchcraft.
Her specialty is snakebites, although you could try her incantations to get rid of snakes in the first place.

ANI

Two-faced God of Change.
Like JANUS, he has two faces to peer into the recent past and the near futu

ANNA-PERENNA

Goddess of the New Year — Old Year — Any Old Year.
You can also drink her health at her Spring Celebrations on the 15th March.