Well, here it is, Saturday morning. I got Mystery Science Theater playing (Episode 509 “The Girl In Lover’s Lane"), which features one of my favorite character names, Big Stupid (aka Bix Dugan). Anyway, I use that time to also catch up on my favorite blogs while sipping the overpriced hot brown water they label as ‘coffee’ at QuickTrip. It was during my routine blog perusal that I caught someone describing a fellow gamer as a ‘Grognard’. Their reasoning for doing so was simply based on the fact that the person was over 40 and grumpy. I couldn’t believe this gross misrepresentation of the term and immediately went to the Internet’s most fervently accurate resource, Wikipedia. Again, I couldn’t believe what I was reading. The term to which an entire generation of gamers gave their Saturday nights defining was being besmirched and misused by the kids of today. Since I am a 40+ year old ‘semi-Grognard’ myself, I will attempt to set the record straight.

“Grognard’ is a French word meaning ‘grumbler’, or one who complains incessantly. This is not to be confused with the French term “Gronarniue’ which means “Drop your rifle and run.” The term made it’s way into the gaming world around the early 80’s, but it did not mean ‘grumbler’. After all, everyone who plays tabletop RPG’s or PC games is a grumbler. We love to bitch about anything and everything. Therefore, to call a fellow gamer a ‘grumbler’ was basically just calling them an average gamer.

The term ‘Grognard’, in proper gaming circles, refers to a person who annoyingly claims to know every rule and strategy for a given RPG, but never actually plays the game. They spend their time sitting around the table lecturing everyone else about how stupid their previous move was or how they are mismanaging their army’s resources, yet never put their grandiose knowledge to practical use.

For our gaming group, that person was Kevin. He wasn’t always that way. He played most Games Workshop and other tabletop RPG’s quite well, and for many years. But then, something snapped. He fell into a sullen world of negativity and second guessing. He would still join us for gaming night, but would just sit there like a lump lamenting the idiocy of the current player’s move. Many a times people would challenge him to actually put his reputation on the line and do battle, but he would refuse citing some fear of the government tracking how well you strategize at RPG’s and warning that a black, windowless van would swoop you up on the way home and have you organizing black-ops for the CIA.

I was just kidding about that last part, he wasn’t that nutty. I actually do miss Kevin, who moved away about 10 years ago. I think every gaming group requires a bit of a Grognard in their midst. I believe it helps the group bond and become more cohesive and dependent, while also providing the group with a reason to argue (as if we needed a reason).

I’ll have to admit that when I first saw this I thought it was incredible. It’s like the huge touch screens of Star Trek TNG. I’m an old school Dungeons and Dragons player from days of old (late 70’s, early 80’s). There are still factions that meet at community gaming centers and stores that still play the old fashioned way with miniatures, maps, paper and pencil. But will this concept change that?

Surfacescapes Demo Walkthrough from Surfacescapes on Vimeo.

The big advantage of the large surface game is that specifics, ranges, inventories, etc. can all be accessed with the touch of a finger. Pretty cool, right? Well, I would have to argue that while it may appeal to the ‘shiny object’ crowd, the old school methods will still be the dominant ones. Why? For the simple reason that having to reference the mountains of books to determine, in the most precise of detail, the effects or abilities of a class, spell, or Boss is half the fun. The research and interpretation is where the fulfillment of D&D lies… That and the imagination!

Now I’ve been tabletop RPG’ing since High School and I can tell you that some of the cerebral fulfillment of the games comes from outsmarting an opponent who doesn’t know the rules as they pertain to their situation or has misinterpreted them, which usually leads to a half hour of looking up the ruling in question and arguing with the DM to get your way. Sometimes, a slap-fight ensues. With the surface method, everything is at your fingertips. You can immediately assess the situation and have the game determine the best option.

Take for example the simple method of range determination as demonstrated in the video. Have you ever played a tabletop RPG and pre-measured a range attack? OMG – You will be banned from the store quicker than your Manna burn rate can be calculated. Not physically banned, but the shame you feel for being labeled and ignored by your fellow type A mouth breathers might as well mean exile. There are rules, protocols, and sometimes rituals that accompany these games, and there’s good reason for it. It’s the interaction with fellow carbon based life forms that makes playing D&D and every other RPG (Games Workshop, etc.) worth while.

I can see this method being useful when your playing a single player game like Diablo or the many other solo RPG’s out there. I think the surface method would be a fantastic vehicle for those types of games where the pomp and circumstance of the group environment are not required. Plus, lugging around those 18 books is the only exercise I get!

I found this article on the web and had to post it. Some of the arguments presented are laughable… Promotes gang activity? Well, it is a quest based game with parties of varying talents. Although I haven’t found a compendium for Crips, Bloods, and Aryans.

MADISON, Wis. — A man serving life in prison for first-degree intentional homicide lost his legal battle today to play Dungeons & Dragons behind bars.

Kevin T. Singer filed a federal lawsuit against officials at Wisconsin's Waupun prison, arguing that a policy banning all Dungeons & Dragons material violated his free speech and due process rights.

Prison officials instigated the Dungeons & Dragons ban among concerns that playing the game promoted gang-related activity and was a threat to security. Singer challenged the ban but the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday upheld it as a reasonable policy.

Dungeons & Dragons players create fictional characters and carry out their adventures, often working together as a group, with the help of complicated rules.

Singer, 33, has been a devoted player of the fantasy role-playing game since he was a child, according to the court ruling. After the ban went into effect, prison officials confiscated dozens of Dungeons & Dragons books and magazines in his cell as well as a 96-page manuscript he had written detailing a potential scenario for the game that players could act out.

Prison officials enacted the ban in 2004 after an inmate sent an anonymous letter expressing concern about Singer and three other inmates forming a "gang" focused around playing the game.

Singer was told by prison officials that he could not keep the materials because Dungeons & Dragons "promotes fantasy role playing, competitive hostility, violence, addictive escape behaviors, and possible gambling," according to the ruling. The prison later developed a more comprehensive policy against all types of fantasy games, the court said. The appeals court said the prison's policy was reasonable and did not violate Singer's rights.

"After all, punishment is a fundamental aspect of imprisonment, and prisons may choose to punish inmates by preventing them from participating in some of their favorite recreations," the court said.

Singer was sentenced to life in prison in 2002 after being found guilty of first-degree intentional homicide in the killing of his sister's boyfriend. The man was bludgeoned to death with a sledgehammer.

Department of Corrections spokesman John Dipko said the department was pleased with the decision and will continue to enforce rules that are designed to maintain a safe environment.

Singer's court-appointed attorney, W.C. Turner Herbert of North Carolina, also did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

I played the original L4D from Valve when it came out… Well, I played the demo version. The game itself was a newer twist on the FPS genre where you act as one of four survivors of a zombie apocalypse. The key is travel with your group (this is key) and get to various locations and cities without the hordes of zombies catching up with you.

The game had a good bit of depth in the area of creating different zombie classes with different skills, speeds, and God-awful ways of making you die. This kept the strategy ever changing as you and the other three players tried to formulate a winning play based on the scenario’s terrain, zombie types, and goals. Valve released the Survival Pack months later so that players got the full Versus experience as well as the now-standard timed Survival mode.

When L4D2 came out, my first thought was wow, that was fast. I said that because Valve has a propensity to take their time when it comes to sequels. I got the game and anxiously waited to see if it brought out new dimensions to the game play. It didn’t. Although it had five all new campaigns, this game was more like an aesthetic patch and enhancement of existing features than a whole new type of game. With that said, if you have L4D, keep it and wait for L4D2 to hit the bargain bin (or at least go below $30).

If you have been waiting for an excuse to try L4D2, then the MSRP is well worth the price. It will provide you with hours of single player enjoyment as you master the various levels, weapons, zombies, etc. By all means, please play the single player missions first. It’s not like CoDMW2 in that if you familiar with WWII shooters you can pretty much kick it multiplayer without much more than a couple training missions. L4D2 has five new campaigns and, compared to the first version, has enhanced settings, more modes, and more responsibilities needed to win the level.

Bottom line, if you don’t have it and are a fan of group RPG’s and zombies, by all means get the darn thing! If you have L4D, I would give a solid “M’eh” as to whether or not you should upgrade (at the current price).

I’ll save you some reading time… Heck YEAH! I wasn’t that all excited about loading this game, but now that I’ve mastered it, I’m glad I did.

About a year and a half ago I was completely absorbed in Enemy Territory. If you haven’t heard of this game, it was the multiplayer version of Castle Wolfenstein. The publisher stopped work on the multiplayer version after sales of the game showed it was less than spectacular. The developers, knowing a good thing when they write it, finished the multiplayer version, Enemy Territory, on their own and released it as a FREE game. It was one of the best multiplayer WWII shooters around and is still going strong many years after it’s release.

Before I found this game, I was addicted to Call of Duty 2. Enemy Territory took the place of that habit and along with my Clan, wreaked online havoc for a couple of years.

But then came Vista, which isn’t a bad thing. I had to upgrade to keep pace with my customers to ensure my development systems matched their production systems. Enemy Territory did NOT run on Vista, even in compatibility mode. It was a bitter pill but I drudged forward. I looked high and low for a replacement but nothing came close, not even Enemy Territory Quake Wars (a futuristic version). I tried other genres with games like Sins of a Solar Empire, but nothing gave that feeling of being immersed and involved like I had with Enemy territory.

For Christmas my family got me CoDMW2. I waited a couple of weeks to install it thinking I would just be mildly entertained and then go back to writing my own games out of boredom. But NO, the game kicked ass. Despite a clumsy and cartoony snow mobile riding level, I whipped through the single player version in mere hours. Then I jumped on multiplayer and found exactly what I was looking for. I soon rose the ranks to Master Sergeant and was gaining familiarity with the levels. The perks that are unlocked as you progress make the game so interesting that you can’t stop until you’ve unlocked that damn red dot hack!

Just a note about the levels. It’s the only thing I’m disappointed in so far. The levels (most of them) are ports of old CoD levels with modern skins! Don’t tell me their not. I’ve played enough of the original game to know a retreaded level when I see one. I’m not really complaining because it cut down on my learning curve!

Anyway, this game is definitely a replacement for my old Enemy Territory habit. It worked great on Vista and works great on Windows 7. It’s a game that you can get on and play if you’ve only got a few minutes or an entire weekend. It will be a while before you find yourself looking for a replacement to this great game.

The kids at PC Gamer posted a list of what they consider the top 100 games then throw in the disclaimer that these are the best games today. They have some from the mid 90's but most everything else is recent visual masturbation. They completely ignored the ground breakers, the innovators, and the pioneers. So, being a gamer that has seen them all since 1982, I’ve decided to add just a few of my favorites from the dawn of computer gaming. These would be on a TRUE list of the top 100 PC Games EVER.

Kings Quest (1985) and King's Quest 2 - Romancing the Throne (1987): During those years, we had next to nothing except a Tandy 1000 and an EGA monitor. Many a Saturday night was spent playing this 2D scroller. Despite it not being driven by a $900 NVidia card, the graphics were stunning. The music and sound were unheard of (no pun intended). It was the first truly interactive experience on the PC with a story that made you want to complete the quest, but were left saddened when it was over. This game spawned a number of Sierra knockoffs like Leisure Suit Larry, Space Quest, and Police Quest. Truly groundbreaking and worthy of every gamer's respect.

Bedlam (1984): It was a DOS text adventure that placed you in the middle of a large insane asylum. The goal was to escape since you were wrongly imprisoned there. If another inmate caught on to what you were doing, you would have to bribe them with cigarettes. Oh, the good old days of text adventures. Trying to decipher and remember the various verb - noun combinations that unlocked whatever secrets a room held... and putting them in the right order!

DOOM and Wolfenstein 3D (1992): An 8 bit first person shooter that not only introduced that generation of gamers to 3d worlds, it beat them over the head with how incredibly forward thinking this technology was. I played that game over and over for years and never got tired of it. As a young developer, I could not even begin to grasp the kind of engineering knowledge necessary to create such an immersive world. Hell, I was getting excited having just wrote DOS pop-up menu's. Not just groundbreaking or exciting, this is the one that started it all. It opened the world of 3d depth and game play to the masses. Thank you, ID software.

Bushbuck Charms, Viking Ships, and DoDo Eggs (1991): As a young engineer, I had the pleasure of working on this game. PCGlobe was a small company that made mapping and statistical data software. They wanted to cash in on the Carmen San Diego craze and decided to write a game that centered around world travel, using facts and figures from their PCGlobe and PCUSA products. When you think of small development shops, this was one of them. There were 2 full time developers, a graphics guy, and a sound guy (a side gig for Andre Bormanis who went on to Hollywood and became the Science Advisor on most all post-90's Star Trek shows and movies). Oh yeah, and me the 1/3 developer, 1/3 QA, and 1/3 PC Tech. This game wasn't ground breaking, innovative, or particularly interesting, but I listed it because it was the first one I worked on.