On Fallout

Okay, I have a confession to make. Though I am a fan of all sorts of RPGs, I have never played any of the Fallout series. It just always seemed to be on the edge of my attention while other videogames or projects took up my time.

Then I saw that the game, along with several of its sequels, was on sale at Good Old Games, and decided to give it a try, especially since it had been made by the same people who made Arcanum.
Before I played the game, all that I knew was that it was a post-apocalyptic RPG that had built a pretty big fanbase, and quite a few sequels. The background to Fallout's world is that the USA and other modern nations took a different path in history, which ended in the Great War wiping out most of humanity in a matter of hours. It's kind of like a look at a world if the Soviets and Americans had actually pulled the trigger and started World War III.

Of course, it's not all doom and gloom. A lot of the game has a bit of tongue in cheek humor to it. The Pip-Boy illustrations are hilarious at times, and the retro feel to a lot of the world can be pretty amusing as well. I mean, we've got two-headed cows, hideously oversized iguanas and scorpions, and robots with brains for CPUs. How can that not be awesome?

One of the main draws for me is the opportunity to effect the ending. Fallout gives several different endings depending on what choices you make throughout the story, and how quickly you complete the games main objectives. I like the feeling of being able to contribute something to the story; it was something I enjoyed in Arcanum, and I liked it here too.

Alright, time for the nerdy portion of this analysis. The mechanics behind this game are extremely well balanced. I feel like I can enjoy this game as well when I build a muscle-bound guy with a sledgehammer as when I focus on sniping skills. The whole SPECIAL system is very interesting to me, and half the replay value is from making a new character and seeing how the whole experience changes. Each variation is almost like playing an entirely new game, even if you try to trigger the same endings. Although the game is kind of short in some ways, I can see why this game was the first in a major franchise.

All in all, it was a game that was definitely worth the small amount of money I used to purchase it. Now I just need to see how the next couple of sequels lived up to the promise...

On Kingsley's New Cover

So we officially have a cover for the next Hector Kingsley book! Here it is. It has once again been provided through the skill of Mr. Robert Ennis, who has once again outdone himself. The book is now off to the copy editor, and I am hoping to have the thing ready before the end of the year. Here's hoping nothing drastically terrible happens, right? Aheh.

Heh. Yeah... Seriously, it would be nice if that didn't happen.









In any case, the other news is that Kingsley's first novel is now on sale. I think that I will leave the price this low through December and January, in the hopes that it will get people excited about the sequel. If you haven't bought it yet, go ahead and try it now! I think it's a really good story, though I suppose I am a bit biased.

Anyway, hope all is going well for everyone, and I'll see you around!

On Thanksgiving

So it's Thanksgiving again! It's the time of pumpkin and holiday pie, the time of turkey, yams and even cranberry sauce. Yes, cranberry sauce, even though no sane person likes the stuff. I suppose it has to have something to do when it's not busy getting in everybody's juices (thank you Brian Reegan).

I have to admit I've always liked Thanksgiving, and it's always kind of bothered me when it gets overshadowed by Christmas. Christmas is nice and all--don't get me wrong, I like that holiday just fine. But does Christmas shopping and jingles and frantic holiday rush need to start in October? I think of Thanksgiving as a great time to just pause and reflect a little, rather than running flat out from summer to Christmas. Our society could use a little of that, but these days it seems like Thanksgiving has become more about shopping than giving thanks. It's gotten to the point where the infamous Black Friday shopping craze is not only killing and trampling people, it's starting one day early in some stores...during the holiday that's supposed to be about gratitude. When did that start making sense?

So in a personal effort to hold back the crazy, and appreciate the holiday as it was meant to be, I'll list a few things I'm especially grateful for this year.

First off, my family. Emily has been a wonderful wife, and better than I deserve, for more than five years now. She's been with me through hard times and everything, and I couldn't be happier that she's stuck around. Even better, we have a daughter now, who, although she has a tendency to make things interesting, is a bright spot in my life. I'm grateful for both of them, and for the parents, siblings, and other relatives who have always been there for me and supported me, despite my many varied flaws.

I'm grateful for the friends and co-workers who've not only put up with me, but gone out of their way to look out for me. I'm thankful for the readers who have bought my books and made it possible for me to succeed at something that I love doing. I'm grateful to be able to live in a country where my voice is heard, where my rights are secure, and where I have the freedom to believe and to do as I choose, and I am humbly grateful for all those who have sacrificed and suffered to make that freedom a reality.

Most of all, I'm just grateful to be alive. There are so many opportnities in this world, at this time, and I am glad to have the chance to experience it, to be a part of the craziness that is life. The chance to continue forward and keep learning, keep growing, is incredible to me, and I am glad that I have it.

So there's my little Thanksgiving post. Hope you and yours are having a wonderful day! See you around.