Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Games and Movies

I like to game. I play pencil and dice RPGs and I play video games on Playstation 2 and some Computer games. I like movies. Movies made about games, though are usually check your brain at the door and enjoy the slugfest events. That is okay, they are entertaining for a few hours and I don't expect anything more.

That being said, most anyone who likes the pencil and dice type of RPG should check out the independent flick The Gamers. It is a Dead Gentlemen Production.
http://gamers.deadgentlemen.com/

I was expecting the same schlock as the Movies Dungeons and Dragons, or Street Fighter, only with no budget, light entertainment and then forget about it. Boy was I wrong. It is a clever little movie, only about 45 minutes long, that could only have been written by someone who plays the game. Or maybe someone who loves someone who plays the game. If you don't play Role Playing Games, I'm not sure if you would like this movie or not.

The movie follows 4 gamers, their dungeon master, an absentee gamer, and a random annoyed fellow tenant of a dorm building. Except for that random annoyed fellow tenant, I have played in that game. I think most people who have gamed, have been in that game, or some version thereof. The movie switches between the table where the players sit and the game world as imagined by the players and the dungeon master.

Some friends showed me the movie. I loved it and borrowed it. I showed it to some more friends. We dusted off our books, went to the local comic book/gaming store, visited the Wizards of the Coast website, http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/welcome and we have 2 campaigns going now. That way the other DM and I both have a chance to play. Not only am I working on the current campaign, I'm taking notes for future campaigns.

Monday, June 11, 2007

Renovation update

I was hoping to post more often than I have been. Funny how life and work get in the way.

Renovation is moving along and currently out the door. The estimate is that when all is said and done 600 to 800 truck loads of concrete, dirt, carpet, and who knows what else will be removed from the 1st or basement floor of the Criss Library. I think most of the concrete floor has been removed as I have not heard any banging or pounding for a few days.

The air quality of the building has been, well dismal. They are doing everything they can to keep things comfortable for patrons, employees, and the contractors. Most of the employees are running fans as the building's air handlers get turned on and off as need be. All of my fellow employees, or at least the ones I've talked to about building issues, are keeping an optimistic attitude. There are complaints, but nothing worse than under normal working conditions, and possibly not as vocal as under normal conditions.

Also on campus this summer, the Library is not the only building undergoing renovation. The student center food court, the HPER building (or was it the field house), and the former Engineering building are all undergoing improvements. New dorms are being built, which is a good thing. There is rumor of a new parking garage, and I think the old parking garage has also been undergoing repairs. On a sad note, the home my father grew up in was torn down to make room for the new dorms.