Tell me about annwyn, board games, computer game design, phillips exeter academy, psp, sca, and sca combat.
Kind of a scattered list; I'll go through it in order of interest to outsiders, probably.
Annwn was a SF Bay area band, centered around nitnorth and motogrrl (Leigh Ann Hussy, now deceased.) They played an eclectic mix of music based on the Celtic tradition, with a huge rock influence. Much of their recorded music is available online, see http://annwn.nithaus.org/ . The Green Fairy and Black Eye, Yellow Eye, both original compositions, are among my favorite pieces of music of all time.
Phillips Exeter Academy: is my alma mater; I graduated in 1981. It's the better of the two prep schools - that other Phillips Academy lets in losers like the Bush family. (Though I understand they had the sense to throw the last model back.) Anyway, PEA is a very good school, and I'm glad I went.
Computer Game Design and PSP: This is what brings in the money for me. I lead technical teams in a game development studio, which is almost as much fun as people think it is. We spent a while working on the Sony PSP, which is a very powerful handheld console. The unit has a lot of unrealized potential, but I think it will be the next generation of high-end handhelds that really takes off. Computer game design is still in it's early years as an entertainment medium. I think there's a lot that can be formally said about what makes a game engaging or not, and I think it's worth the effort to be formal about it when you're in the business. I find it unusual that amateur authors talk more about plot, pacing, and structure than professional game designers talk about the formalities of our field. Board Games: I'm not sure what to expand on here. My wife and I both like playing tabletop board games, usually games that have a "race to the goal" structure rather than a direct competition structure. A good board game can be the locus of a conversation as well as an activity in itself. We've tended toward games that allow minor chores like laundry and dishes to go on around them; the crayon rail games are good for that. Our son also likes playing games, though the selection of games for seven year old is somewhat more limited.
SCA and SCA combat The Society for Creative Anachronism. Mostly people with more interest in history than knowledge of it, but you find the occasional expert hanging out with us. The SCA in general is a fun diversion, I've done dance and choral singing as well as just hanging out at events talking to people. SCA combat is a martial art that is used as a sport - it has some aspects of both. The fundamental description is that we use rattan weapons and reasonably real armor, and throw full contact blows to a restricted target set. Once you get past the near certainty of the occasional bruise, it's enormous fun. It's a direct match of skill to skill, where good sportsmanship is not only expected but required. I'm in the middle of a long sabbatical from fighting, and I miss it a lot.
Like many competitive sports, SCA combat is lots of near victories and losses, enlivened by the rare incident when you see an opening and know that your blow is going to land. The icon I’m using here is one of those moments – my opponent bought into a fake and lifted his shield too high. I just happened to catch this one on film. It’s in the middle of a long series of bouts where I got clubbed like a harp seal, but still – those few moments of triumph make the whole day worthwhile. It’s why I try to fight people better than I am – victory is much sweeter. Besides, they’re easier to find.
A longer reply than I thought I'd write
Kind of a scattered list; I'll go through it in order of interest to outsiders, probably.
Annwn was a SF Bay area band, centered around
Phillips Exeter Academy: is my alma mater; I graduated in 1981. It's the better of the two prep schools - that other Phillips Academy lets in losers like the Bush family. (Though I understand they had the sense to throw the last model back.) Anyway, PEA is a very good school, and I'm glad I went.
Computer Game Design and PSP: This is what brings in the money for me. I lead technical teams in a game development studio, which is almost as much fun as people think it is. We spent a while working on the Sony PSP, which is a very powerful handheld console. The unit has a lot of unrealized potential, but I think it will be the next generation of high-end handhelds that really takes off.
Computer game design is still in it's early years as an entertainment medium. I think there's a lot that can be formally said about what makes a game engaging or not, and I think it's worth the effort to be formal about it when you're in the business. I find it unusual that amateur authors talk more about plot, pacing, and structure than professional game designers talk about the formalities of our field.
Board Games: I'm not sure what to expand on here. My wife and I both like playing tabletop board games, usually games that have a "race to the goal" structure rather than a direct competition structure. A good board game can be the locus of a conversation as well as an activity in itself. We've tended toward games that allow minor chores like laundry and dishes to go on around them; the crayon rail games are good for that. Our son also likes playing games, though the selection of games for seven year old is somewhat more limited.
SCA and SCA combat The Society for Creative Anachronism. Mostly people with more interest in history than knowledge of it, but you find the occasional expert hanging out with us. The SCA in general is a fun diversion, I've done dance and choral singing as well as just hanging out at events talking to people. SCA combat is a martial art that is used as a sport - it has some aspects of both. The fundamental description is that we use rattan weapons and reasonably real armor, and throw full contact blows to a restricted target set. Once you get past the near certainty of the occasional bruise, it's enormous fun. It's a direct match of skill to skill, where good sportsmanship is not only expected but required. I'm in the middle of a long sabbatical from fighting, and I miss it a lot.
Like many competitive sports, SCA combat is lots of near victories and losses, enlivened by the rare incident when you see an opening and know that your blow is going to land. The icon I’m using here is one of those moments – my opponent bought into a fake and lifted his shield too high. I just happened to catch this one on film. It’s in the middle of a long series of bouts where I got clubbed like a harp seal, but still – those few moments of triumph make the whole day worthwhile. It’s why I try to fight people better than I am – victory is much sweeter. Besides, they’re easier to find.