After playing the first regular episode for about 2 1/2 hours, and knowing I would be flying back to Miami in a few days, everyone agreed to push ahead and play another episode, even though it was just shy of Midnight. A bathroom break later, we sat down to play. This episode was the Enforcer’s character spotlight episode.
Season 1, Webisode
I dove right into the thick of things, riding on the momentum of the previous episode, and used the Archivist’s Next Time On scene to open. As he looked out the observation deck of his Death Star, a contingent of Storm Troopers surrounded him, while one of his officers asked him to please not make this difficult. Because of the time they had served the Sith Lord, the officer was willing to let him go if he did it in the next 5 seconds. The Archivist pondered for a moment, and as he was about to accept the offer, one of the Storm Troopers started to count. Big mistake. The Archivist called a conflict to deal with these traitorous scum; he won, easily (I didn’t provide much opposition either, just enough to get some Fan Mail on the table), leading to his Next Time On moment as he Force-choked the officer whom he had give explicit orders to not be disturbed. The deed done, and knowing he had just signed his own warrant, the Archivist engaged the Death Star’s auto-destruct, though not before using the station’s laser to obliterate the cloning facility on the planet below, along with a good chunk of the planet itself.
It’s no secret to anyone that knows me that I would love to have a career in the Hobby Gaming industry. The sole reason why I started Highmoon Media Productions and the podcasts was to build credits and “get my name out there.” It’s turned out that I’ve greatly enjoyed doing what I do, but that doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t want a more steady kind of job for a gaming company.
I’ve been a huge fan of White Wolf games for years, and during the late 90s/early 2000s these were THE de-facto games played at my home, with Vampire and Changeling holding court as royal consorts. Thus why for the longest time my dream gaming job was at White Wolf, doing heavens-knows-what, but doing it at White Wolf. These days I’m a bit out of touch with their games (the reset hit me hard, even if I greatly enjoy the new World of Darkness), but yeah, that freehold in Atlanta still holds a certain charm for me.Which leads me to the title of this post.
If there is one person right now in the gaming industry whose job I thoroughly envy, that person would be Eddy Webb, Director of Alternative Publishing for White Wolf/CCP North America. Why, you ask? Because what that somewhat-vague title means is that Eddy is the guy who’s in charge of dealing with all new and emergent ways of publishing/marketing the products at White Wolf, from practically-mainstream-by-now PDF publishing to the new (and really good) White Wolf Blogcast hosted by Eddy himself (basically everything beyond Gutenberg’s legacy).
As you probably know, I do The Digital Front Podcast (no, it hasn’t podfaded and yes, it will return sometime this year), a show I started precisely because I am a part of that Alternative Publishing field via Highmoon Games, and because the subject interests me to no end, even if I have trouble keeping up with all the latest developments. It is these alternative publishing methods that allowed me and hundreds like me to get our gaming projects out there via PDF, that allowed the rise of the indie games movement thanks to Print on Demand, that created a whole new class of media with blogging and podcasting, and that stands poised to give us the very next awesome development in the way games are produced, distributed and consumed (I offer the iPhone and Kindle as two common examples). And being in charge of getting the most out of this explosion in the service of his company and the gamut of great games they put out, that’s Eddy’s job!
So Eddy, when I say I envy you it’s because, as I see it, you have the coolest job in the industry right now, and from what I’ve seen coming out from White Wolf in the AP department, you are doing it hella-well. Be forewarned, as soon as I am able to get The Digital Front back up and running, I’m gunning for you as a guest. Expect that email sometime down the line.
For a number of reasons, I’ve been, literally, off the bike for months now. We’ve also missed the last three Bike Miami Days, including the April edition in Coconut Grove alongside the Dutch Consulate, which I hear was nothing but a spectacle. That’s why when it came to today’s Bike Miami, the last one for the current season (summer’s here, so it’s officially time to go inside), we were both incredibly pumped for the occasion.
It started a bit off, given that during the month of May, the Venetian Causeway has been closed to all-but-local traffic, cutting off our one way to bike down to Downtown from the Beach. Rather than face Biscayne Blvd., risk the MacArthur Causeway, or waste time taking a bus, we decided to drive (which, on reflection, provided a bit of a bookend to our Bike Miami experience for this year, as we also drove down to the first one). We used one of the Pay-to-Park spaces since it was cheaper than the parking at Bayside, and off we went.
This is the first time we’ve been there early enough to attend the customary rally, this time on the steps of the Courthouse. There was live music and some kiosks with varied information. We got to see some of the “regulars” and were greeted by Kathryn Moore, tireless Bike Miami dynamo that she is for Mayor Manny Diaz (did you know the Mayor’s on Twitter?). We saw some folks dance for the chance to win three bikes and a dude pull a Ford Fiesta while on a bike. Then, off to ride.
The route by now is well-known to us. It extended once more to the Miami River, though there was nothing going on there this time around. The riverside was, however, preened and very inviting, though Lummus Park was, still, closed to the public. I was once again reminded of the potential for that area of Downtown Miami and the idea my wife and I dreamed up for a Downtown Riverside Marketplace, which I wrote up for Miami Metblogs (Part 1, Part 2).
Around this area we suddenly found the entrance to the Miami River Greenway, right under the I-95 Overpasses, except it was fenced closed after maybe a little over 100 feet. The paved walkway I know continues along the river all the way to the bay, but it is broken up in parts by construction and gaps that yet need to be bridged. If there’s a project the City of Miami (also on Twitter, by the way) needs to put attention to and get done as soon as possible, the Miami River Greenway is it; being able to highlight and drive traffic to this wonder of our city, the one urban river we have, would do wonders for Downtown and the City in general, not to mention that it would create another great addition to the route for future Bike Miami Days.
The rest of the day was spent riding around the usual route established by now. We visited Mary Brickell Village again, and marveled, as we walked around, at how many empty retail spaces it has and what a shame that is (note to developers: open a Kosher eatery here–or frankly, anywhere Downtown–and we’ll heap praises and money every time we visit Downtown/Brickell) given how beautiful the Village is. We noticed the smaller attendance to this event than in months past, and speculated that it had to do with the heat (it was HOT today) and the fact that it was the seventh event; both are good reasons why it makes perfect sense to close up Bike Miami for the summer and wait for the cooler climate of the fall to restart. There were hardly any kiosks and those that were left fairly quickly with less than a handful sticking around till the 2 PM closing time. Once again, Bayfront Park was not a part of the Bike Miami route due to a conflicting event.
We rode around, enjoying the chance to be on our bikes after about a three-month hiatus, but by 3-ish PM we were ready to head back home. We packed the bikes back on the rack, and said goodbye to Bike Miami for the time-being.
I’d like to do a review of Bike Miami as it’s grown since its inception seven months ago, but overall, we’ve been very pleased. Even this event, which by all accounts was the least attended, was successful in its stated goal of allowing people to explore the city in a new way and promoting bike culture in Miami. The summer break will be good for everyone, allowing excitement to build over the next four to five months. Come the fall, I know we’ll be ready to bike down again and party on two wheels.
Ronin brings you to Japan during the Edo Period, characterized by the rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate (1600-1868). This is the height of samurai culture, when feudal lords commanded fearsome warriors and ruled vast lands, when the mysticism of the past clashed blades with the coming of the modern age. Will you be a samurai beholden to a master or a free-ranging ronin? Will you follow the way of the sword or call upon the arcane spirits? Will you explore high society or delve into the commoner’s world? A world on the edge of turmoil awaits you.
Ronin gives players and Game Masters will find invaluable information to bring the rich historical era of the Edo Period to their games, including:
An introduction to Tokugawa Japan, covering topics such as geography, culture, daily life, nobility, commoners, outsiders and outcasts, magic and mysticism.
A primer on samurai culture.
New Rules systems, such as the all-important Honor, as well as Flaws.
New Basic Classes, such as the courtier, shudoshi (Zen seekers), and vagabond.
New Prestige Classes, such as the blade saint, blind swordman, hedge witch, medium, merchant, and shinobi.
New Feats, 16 in total.
New Magic, including 12 new spells.
A Bestiary of menaces from the natural, magical and ghostly realms.
Ronin: Oriental Adventures in Tokugawa Japan is a sourcebook in the 3rd Fantasy line, compatible with the 3.5 edition of the world’s most popular fantasy roleplaying game.
Written by: Jeremy Puckett
Art by: Zach Ashmore (Cover), public domain Japanese artwork.
Layout by: Mark Reed
Developed by: Daniel M. Perez
I’ve been back for a whole week now, and given the various updates, it’s good I waited to send this one out.
I returned to Miami last Friday, May 1st, and that same afternoon, Mom was discharged from the hospital, after 38 days in it. She is now living with my sister so someone can keep an eye on her while she recovers. She still has the clots in her left leg, but she’s using an anticoagulant to help control the swelling that would otherwise render her leg useless. She also continues to take her medicine for the tumor, and so far it seems to be doing well.
The last week has been one of adjustments, but I continue to be amazed and humbled by my Mother’s fighting spirit, even on the days when she’s overwhelmed. Right now it’s a matter of helping her learn to adjust to her new lifestyle, and continue to keep an eye on the development of the tumors to see if they go into remission (G-d willing). She’ll have more CT scans done in the near future to keep track of things.
It took me a full week to recover, and I’m now back in full to my regular routine. I think I will be going down to Puerto Rico sometime in June just to check up on her and help her out with whatever she may need.
Thanks a million to every single person, whether close friend, acquaintance or even people who only know me through my podcast/blog/company/etc. who sent a good word, thought, prayer or wish our way, whether by written or spoken means. I am sure that it was that massive wave of positivity and caring that worked wonders in Mom’s health and allowed her to go back home, regardless of the adjustments needed. I am forever grateful.
If there is one person right now in the gaming industry whose job I thoroughly envy, that person would be Eddy Webb, Director of Alternative Publishing for White Wolf/CCP North America. Why, you ask? Because what that somewhat-vague title means is that Eddy is the guy who’s in charge of dealing with all new and emergent ways of publishing/marketing the products at White Wolf, from practically-mainstream-by-now PDF publishing to the new (and really good) 
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