Echoes of a master's wordage

If James Ellroy's in town when unexpectedly so still are you; and one of the 'Men in Black' of late 80's Albacon infamy tells you he's got a spare ticket for the gig; there's only one thing to do: be there.

So it was last night I found myself at the GFT for the Glasgow leg of the promotional tour for Blood's a Rover, the latest novel by this master of modern American noir; best known- thanks to Hollywood's stylish 1997 adaption, for L.A. Confidential, a novel of brutal and corrupt law enforcement in 1950's California. I knew very little about this new book, not having kept up with volumes 1 and 2 of the Underworld USA trilogy the completion of which Ellroy trumpets with all the shameless hucksterism of a 2-bit street-corner hustler you might meet in the pages of his wordage.

I'd seen James Ellroy talk about his work on TV, and this same promotional tour had taken him to BBC Radio 4's Front Row only last Monday (Ellroy starts at 14:45 in), so I knew him as forthright in his opinions and entertaining in his wordplay. And the sight of Ellroy squaring up to the lectern like a boxer grabbing the ropes to keep himself from bouncing out of his corner before the next round's bell rings; well, I couldn't but sense that we were to be treated less to a talk than to a verbal doing in the form of an author's reading.

The notion barely formed, Ellroy was off; and nothing could've prepared me for the salvoes of wordage he delivered in those first few minutes. Bam! Take that. Again, bam! And another, and another. Starting slow and building up like a boxer working the speedball, Ellroy threw wordbomb after wordbomb into the mix until he had us at his mercy in a bravura display of the primal power of word and movement in the transports of delight that are the narrative arts.

I can say little more about this great performance; the clip below gives another taste to go with the R4 link above.



OK, I said I could say little more, not no more. What little I can add is that Ellroy's performance was an examplar of Rule of Thumb #1 for GM's and PC's in Matters of Description: Less is More. Sure, it'd take a roleplaying genius of a very rare (if actually extant?) kind to be able to extemporise with the poetic precision and rappers' beat of Ellroy's intensely worked prose. But to be drawn into Ellroy's world the way I was made me acutely aware of several things:

• Roleplaying description should focus on the barest mininum of crucial attributes, described as briefly as possible so that the immediate effect of the words still linger while that which has been so described plays its part in the story; to use an obvious example:

1. Sight- raucous gang of men.
2. Sound- drunken shouting.
3. Smell- beer and piss.
4. Then blammo- an attack by suddenly surprisingly sober assailants.

• Movement and gesture is as important a tool for working on people's thoughts and feelings as are words.
• There is a certain universality to the kinds of characters who people sleazy underworlds, genres notwithstanding- eg. the snoopers; so modern crime novels like Ellroy's can inspire GM's and PC's both in any game.

These are not novel insights on my part, but I would say that anyone who was interested could bring something new to their roleplaying by tracking down and watching over and again a few times some of these performances by James Ellroy, or by reading some of his books.

The reading over Ellroy opened the floor up for questions, as you'd expect. Away from the honed text long rehearsed to be pitch perfect he must still've been wearing his performer persona to some extent. Even so, he came across as frank, honest and impressively open to his audience; eg. he readily admitted that the stylistic approach he'd taken in The Cold Six Thousand (volume 2 of the Underworld USA trilogy) had been a mistake from which he'd learned due to criticism.

The 'Man in Black' had got his oar in before yours truly realised that the situation demanded blatant self-advertisement. So I challenged Ellroy on his casual dismissal of the electronic media- warriors against which we were all presumed to be by Ellroy in his introduction. Feeling compelled to defend my media I pointed out:

• It's the power of TV that gives us- his audience, the dynamic visual sense enabling us to walk the streets of America with his characters.
• That his ever-more telegraphic prose style might be construed as an attempt to give artistic expression to the ever-diminishing attention spans we are told the electronic media inflict upon younger generations.

I confess I was a bit nervous about this but... Well, let me put it like this: I'd like to think that the merit of a question resides in the quality of its answer. James Ellroy's answer to my question was considered, thorough and illuminating. I couldn't've asked for more.

After all the talk about wordage there was signage, naturally enough. I'll be waiting for the paperback omnibus of Underworld USA, so I took along my battered copy of L.A. Noir. Yours truly cleverly forgot his digicam (sheesh, what kind of blogger am I?), so this blurry pic from the 'Man in Black's iPhone is the only record. Ah well. Still, I guess it gives James Ellroy a degree of plausible deniability should he feel the need for it!

James Ellroy is a man who famously has little interest in the gadgets and gizmos of the electronic age. So the small kindness he showed this blogger last night was much appreciated. Remembering as I write this the sight of him surrounded by fans snapping away with phone cameras, I have to ask how Ellroy feels about the way ICT has made his public appearances more immediately the 'property' of fans who hitherto were a mere audience. How, I wonder, might Ellroy's sense of being out of step with the modern world influence his wordage? If last night's performance is anything to go by, it's not for the worse! ;)

I shall have my rewen-ge!

Recently preoccupied with a new member of his household- a kitten (cue pause for wave of 'Aaaaahs' from the audience- including yours truly I must confess: Andy and I visited Gav later to meet Kai the kitten and she is indeed the cutest little furball), Gav was missing from the table last Sunday. This was a bit of a shame because with Dave and Tony present we'd've made six for a Sunday session for the first time in many moons.

Battlestar Galactica
Anyhoo, it was my turn to choose our first game. After all that I've recently written on the subject, it was a cinch that I was going to choose Battlestar Galactica. There was more to this decision than the obvious desire to play the game over which I'd expended so much digital ink to expunge my doubts about its lasting merits. No, I had a whole other agenda, a 'political' agenda if you will. Y'see all that analysis had also convinced me that BSG gameplay could be improved if you brought ulterior motives and other sources of paranoia to the table.

And so I entered Sunday's game determined to do my best to deal with a legacy from previous games. Not only that, I made sure everyone else knew this (what's the point of having a private agenda in a game about politicking and paranoia if you don't tell people?); even if, as it turned out:

• Nobody understood what the frakk I was talking about: I only announced that I had an agenda, because it'd've been easily foiled if I'd told everyone what it actually was.
  
• My goal was achieved without any effort on my part in any case.

I can't therefore reveal what this agenda was because I'll be bringing it to the table for our next game of BSG, let me assure you!

What went down
Sunday's group of Cylon suspects and would-be heroes of humanity were:

• Tony: Gaius Baltar.
• Me: Lee "Apollo" Adama.
• Andy: Saul Tigh (Andy'd wanted to be a pilot and flat out refused to let me change my character when I offered, preferring instead drunkenly to nurse a grudge while plotting nuclear destruction).
• Donald: "Chief" Galen Tyrol.
• Dave: Kara "Starbuck" Thrace.

To say this game was eventful would be one of the understatements of my gaming year. The 'Besieged' Cylon attack Crisis card was followed by 'Declare Martial Law' then the 'Ambush' Cylon attack so that after a mere 3 turns the Cylon threat to the fleet was unprecedented, as 5 Vipers led by Apollo found themselves pitted against:

• 2 Basestars,
• 8 Raiders,
• 1 Heavy Raider;

in defence of 8 civilian ships.

As the second wave of this attack closed in Andy had instituted the military dictatorship which turned out to be merely Phase 1 of all those years of less-than-petty scheming by Tigh after his failure at pilot school. A few turns later, with 1 Basestar largely crippled Andy took out the other with a nuke; an act which was later to prove just how devious the bitter old drunk had been all those years.

The Cylon threat looking managable for the first time all game, we barely had time to draw breath (a mere few turns) before we were hit by 'Thirty-Three' and we saw our population drop to a mere 3 (from 12: unheard of in 7 previous games) under the relentless Cylon onslaught. Unable by virtue of this perilously low population to make fast jumps (because they cost population) we were lucky to be able finally to make our first jump out next turn- turn 11; which left us at 2 population and with a Centurion boarding party on Galactica.

By the time we finally reached the midway point on the journey to Kobol, and the Sleeper Agent Phase which decrees the final Cylon dispositions, we knew for sure that Dave and/or Tony were Cylon (there are 2 in a 5-player game). Our resources were:

• Fuel: 3.
• Food: 5.
• Morale: 6.
• Population: 1 (15 from 38: bad even if we weren't teetering on the brink with that 1 population).

Sad to say humanity's time proved to be as short as you'd expect in those dire straits.

Sure enough, Tony soon revealed himself to be Cylon and he quickly availed himself of an opportunity which we'd never seen in action before, but which I was half expecting: he made his way to the Cylon Resurrection ship so that he could pass off 1 of his 2 'You are a Cylon' cards to Andy (dealt 2 Loyalty cards at start because he was Gaius Baltar, Tony had started Cylon and had been dealt his second 'You are a Cylon' card during the Sleeper Agent Phase); a wise choice when you consider all the power that Andy had concentrated in his hands. I held out the hope that Tony was just playing mindgames; but the hope was faint, and false.

Andy cruelly fanned the flames of this faint hope by keeping his true nature secret and we were able to reach Jump 6, with our resources down to:

• Fuel: 3.
  
• Food: 4.
  
• Morale: 4.
  
• Population: 1.

These last desperate hopes of humanity's survival were soon extinguished when Andy turned up the 'Riots' Crisis card and used his powers as the Admiral to wipe out what remained of our once proud species.

Afterthoughts
What a great game! Fast, furious and eventful, this was everything I've always thought Battlestar Galactica could deliver as a gaming experience. It's just a shame Gav wasn't there to share the thrills and spills. Apart from the terrifying speed with which the crisis went from bad to worse, the game's high point had to be Tony's use of the Resurrection ship to pass his 'You are a Cylon' card to Andy. The possibility of Gav finally enjoying Cylon status by being given it in this way was something I'd been wondering about; I just forgot the precise mechanic which could deliver it. I'll warrant that the chance to pass on Cylon status must be second only to the fun of playing Cylon.

Andy gaining the Cylon victory without actually having to reveal his nature was also neat. In a final irony, the postgame discussion revealed that there is in fact a way by which we might perhaps have saved ourselves: the Galactica location 'Communications', which we'd never used before, and of which we were barely aware. In mitigation I have to note that the Cylon threat to civilian ships in this game was unprecedented, so that we've never really needed this location before. That's my excuse and I'll be sticking with it!

Score
Toasters 1
Toast 0
:-(

Judge Dredd
Casting around for our next game, it was Tony I believe who suggested Judge Dredd. Well overdue as I'd been thinking only recently, it was nice to introduce this GW classic to another fan of the strip, namely Dave. Donald was convinced that he was reigning serving Chief Judge of Megacity 1. Unfortunately for Donald I must correct that mistaken impression: Gav- AKA. Judge Jules, holds that office; as records and RD/KA! both show.

In any event, evidently the sight of Judge Jules seated in his office stroking a cat with the inevitable evil gleam in his eye was enough to persuade everyone that he was in no way suitable for this supreme office. Donald was able in the end to find that much sought after seat in the Chief Judge's office, although he has to share it (the office, not the seat; though what happens behind those closed doors is their affair I guess...) as a 3-way tie:

• Andy: 34,
• Donald: 36,
• Dave: 36,
• Tony: 36,
• Me: 26;

means that an iron-fisted triumverate now rules over the Megacity.

Score
Inhuman and tyrannical 2
Just plain inhuman 1
Tyro tyrants 1
Burnt toast 0
:-0

Fluxx
Dinner loomed. We needed a quickie filler to get in any more games before I had to repair to the kitchen. Munchkin was suggested, but my taste for that game is strictly limited- ie. preferrably not 2 weeks in a row. Fluxx was therefore an easy choice all round. We weren't far into our first game before Donald helpfully pointed out that if I didn't win a game of Fluxx I'd be on my second duck in a row for a Sunday session. Sad to say the would-be Evil One's prediction came true, as our 2 games went to:

• Donald: with the Appliances (another frakkin' toaster!).
• Dave: Hearts and Minds.

Score
Inhuman tyrant 2
Capricious tyrants 2
Tyrannical and devious toaster 1
The bum's rush 0
:_(

Oh yes, and there were more games of Fluxx but nobody took notes while I was slaving away in the kitchen, so the world shall remain ever unaware of whether Dave, Donald or Tony came out on top of the struggles in the Chief Judge's office in Megacity 1. Perhaps that's for the best, don't you think? ;)

Geekish grab bag!

As I said on Friday, I want to celebrate the latest small landmark in the life of RD/KA! by looking to what the future might bring for this geek and his games.

Memoir'44
Regular readers will know that Badger and I have recently taken a break from our 2½-year Combat Commander odyssey. We'll be returning to this great game for sure (there're scenarios still unplayed and more to come); and then there'll no doubt be a taste of Chad's next WW2 tacsim- Fighting Formations: Grossdeutschland Infantry Division; but not before we've indulged our taste for Conflict of Heroes.

Superior tacsims all though these games are (or promise to be), none are intrinsically more exciting than Memoir'44; nor do they relegate the game from its well-deserved status of light wargame to some nether region of little or no interest to this grognard. Days of Wonder themselves are doing their bit to maintain interest in the game, with their planned December release of Memoir'44 Battle Maps Vol. 3: Sword of Stalingrad, featuring:

• 2 Overlord scenarios.
• 2 Standard scenarios.
• Summary cards for the previously published Battle Maps and Mediterranean Theater expansion.
• Additional cards for in-game play - the new Combat Deck (see above) specifically designed for urban warfare (DoW News centre).

Memoir fan and longstanding completist that I am, I'll be picking this up and I look forward to checking it out. To be honest though, expansion in this direction neither scratches this grognard's itch untouched nor fills the niche unreached by the games listed above. With these games on my shelf, and light relief aside, Memoir simply wouldn't be my game of choice if I was looking for:

• Detailed resolution of units and/or their interaction with terrain.
• Multilayered and flexible command and control systems.

Nonetheless the strengths Memoir has always enjoyed have been developed by the range of expansions, making it a light wargame whose coverage of WW2, while perhaps not exactly as exhaustive of that of ASL, is certainly thorough enough to cover every major theatre and type of operation. More interesting here perhaps than new armies and terrain are the 3 different maps on which games of Memoir can now be played - pictures above and left:

• Standard.
• Overlord.
• Breakthrough.

There is something very suggestive to me about the different maps and the scope of the operations each space might support. I think there might be another project here, although first I'd have to play some of scenarios on Overlord and Breakthrough maps, neither of which I've used before. More in due course I hope. :0)

Battlelore
Old hands might remember that just like Memoir'44, Battlelore- the 3rd game in my collection of Richard Borg's Command and Colours variants, went the way of all things in the face of the Combat Commander onslaught of 2007-09. It's fair to say that the game has suffered its trials and tribulations with publishers as well as on the table of yours truly:

• It having turned out that DoW had bitten off just a bit more than they could chew, the rights to Battlelore were sold to FFG in August last year (Purple Pawn).
• FFG told us that the long-awaited Heroes expansion would be available in spring of 2009 (Purple Pawn).
• The Heroes expansion was finally announced by FFG on October 7th.

The point here is more than just the release of a product so delayed as to have been given up as vapourware by many, no doubt. As Purple Pawn noted on the expansion's release:

The set represents a new direction for the game...
Heroes includes 10 unique miniatures for 5 hero classes, more than 100 cards and 40 tokens, and a rules booklet with seven “adventures,” demonstrating its move toward a fantasy RPG-style game.

What we have then is the hope, held by more than just this fan of the Commands and Colours system as you can see, that Battlelore would be a boardgame that'd revisit the cycle which had begun in 1971 with the Chainmail tabletop miniatures game, and which went on to revolutionise gaming 3 years later when Dungeons and Dragons made its inauspicious appearance. This is not to say that Battlelore could or should become some kind of RPG. Rather it's to express the hope that the unique qualities of Borg's superlative C&C engine can be developed to combine armies' tactical battles with heroes' individual quests to bring new layers of narrative to the gameplay, so delivering something that is more than 'just' a boardgame.

Narrative boardgaming is a field in which FFG's track record is second to none- Battlestar Galactica: the Board Game being one notable example, as regular readers will be well aware. The existing Epic Battlelore and Call to Arms expansions provide a solid basis for this development. In addition, the 'Reluctant Allies' variant included in the former expansion- allowing for up to 4 players, means that the game is a good fit for a Sunday session. So yours truly is hopeful that Battlelore will soon reappear on the gaming table, and that we'll all have a chance to find out if FFG can deliver on the promise Battlelore: Heroes has held out for so long. As ever, fingers crossed I guess. :-)

Space Hulk
Two months ago now I wrote at some length about my first impressions of the shiny new 3rd edition Space Hulk. All sorts of goodies were in the offing I said. At the risk of making my own addition to the internet's ever-growing graveyards of vapourware, I can assure you all, dear readers, that the Space Hulk content promised here at RD/KA! will materialise.

On the right, posing as a genuine WIP shot (with the emphasis on the work, because it is both genuine, and in progess), is a picture of the first pair of Terminators I've assembled. Sooner or later I will sit myself down at the painting table and get to work with my brushes; once I can tear myself away from the computer that is.

And finally: there will be roleplaying
It's been 5 months now since I wrote about my hankering to get back to some roleplaying. I remain as keen as ever even though there has been no real action on that front since then. Still, the imminence of both WFRP3 and HERO6 might generate some movement. As ever, only time will tell; and, fingers crossed I guess. ;)