Here’s a few of the reasons why I’m excited by Maschine Zeit, and you should be too.

Good Scary Writing & Scary Good Writing

The best horror stories do not rely on jump-out in-your-face scares. They don’t base themselves entirely on bloodshed or gore. The effective use of stillness and partially illumination of the unknown cause for a much more tense and compelling atmosphere than the tactics employed by your local haunted house attraction. Maschine Zeit is definitely in the “stillness of the unknown” category. The writing and pacing sets the stage for the kind of flashlight-gripping terror that used to define the kind of storytelling experiences that would have Hitchcock nodding in quiet approval as the rest of the audience screamed bloody murder.

Characters That Are People, Not Just Stats

The character creation system, which I’ve tested a couple of times, has a flow to it that puts the personality of the character front and center rather than putting it behind a wall of statistics. While the stats are certainly there, Maschine Zeit again sets itself apart by actively encouraging players to min-max their characters. Instead of having player aim at being good at everything, this system ensures that the character can accomplish certain tasks with dramatic flair and apparent ease while other characters take on other roles. The shy, intelligent James Sunderland type might be good at figuring out puzzles but he’s not going to be as accurate with a pulse rifle as Duane Hicks. It might seem a bit counter-intuitive at first to players of other tabletop RPGs, but it fits right in with the atmosphere of the game and gets you into your character a bit more adroitly than sitting at a table rolling dice over and over again, praying to Gygax for the best stats possible.

An Apocalypse We Can Believe In

One of the best things that Maschine Zeit has going for it is the way its world is grounded in reality. Even as things begin to turn towards the surreal and supernatural, there’s a tone of voice that has the player thinking “Yeah, that could totally happen.” This grounding makes the events over the course of the game that much more visceral for the players. Combined with effective use of the game’s narrative structure and characters that feel more like real people than fantastical archetypes, this realistic foundation of Maschine Zeit’s world and its stories make for a unique and immersive tabletop experience that can be very difficult to find.

But find it you can, thanks to the genius minds behind Machine Age Productions. There are plans for us to play through a scenario tonight, and tomorrow might find me doing a postmortem on both how the game plays and how the characters fare.

Unless of course all y’all would rather I talk about Dan Brown or something.

With work kicked into high gear since the departure of two friends, this week’s IT CAME FROM NETFLIX! has unfortunately been delayed. I do, however, have some good news to share related to my nascent career as a writer.

I responded to an advert from Polymancer Studios which said they were looking for writers and would-be writers for a new publication related to tabletop gaming. I suggested a column about creative DMing, full of tips for the guy or gal behind the screen aimed at keeping things exciting for the players, from villains with deep motivations to the inclusion of politics in the lands through which the players travel. Polymancer liked the idea, and contacted me about coming aboard as a regular columnist.

Now that alone would be enough to excite me, but then Sandra from Polymaner said this:

I looked over your blog “The Blue Ink” and I liked what I read, would you consider writing for one of our fiction publications as well?

Would I? You bet your ass I would.

I looked through my little bits of fiction, teased out possible ongoing plot threads and character growth and finally settled on Captain Pendragon. Sandra showed it to the others at Polymancer, and…

We like your idea and would love to see this serialized as part of Polygraff’s content. How does that sound to you?

So, yeah. Watch this space. Good things are happening, slowly but surely.

In other news, if anybody wants to sketch the characters or settings in the aforementioned story, feel free. I can picture these folks and technology in my head but I can’t draw to save my life.

This will probably be my last ‘Cooler in Space’ post for a bit. I’m going to do my utmost to focus on a single major project at a time. Certainly, if something comes along for which I’ll be paid, I’ll shift my focus there, but the point is that I should take something from beginning to end without interruption or schizophrenic and sudden gear-changes.

But before I put the RPG project on one of my many back-burners and move something else to stand all alone on the front one, I want to touch on something I happened upon in my addled brain that might give more focus to the RPG.

I mentioned in a previous post that Saturn could be a potential source of conflict. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Saturn and, more specifically, its moons are very nearly a campaign setting in and of themselves. People would come from both Terran and Jovian walks of life to stake, protect, jump or outright steal claims to the mineral-rich moons, the vast open land for colonization or developmental space and the hydrogen stocked atmosphere. Like the unclaimed areas in the Forgotten Realms, the various small moons in Serenity and the Outer Rim in Star Wars, there’s plenty of blank canvas upon which a game master can paint a campaign.

The home worlds of the players, then, become origin points, places where stories begin and possibly end. The bulk of those stories, however, would play out in unknown and unmapped places, lending an air of mystery and exploration to the drama, suspense and combat. That’s what I’m thinking, at least.

More on why this is getting back-burnered in the days to come.

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Adaptations are a good way to cull an established audience from one medium and transplant them into another to generate more revenue and attention for a given work. Just look at the success of The Lord of the Rings, Iron Man and even Twilight. Novels, comic books, even toys have had some success moving from some iteration of the living room to the big screen. Tabletop games, on the other hand, have had a rougher time, and given the disappointment of The Mutant Chronicles, it’s not getting easier any time soon. The film stars Thomas Jane, Ron Perlman, Devon Aoki, Sean Pertwee, Anna Watson and John Malkovich.

“We’ve got the Punisher, Hellboy, a ninja whore, an elf princess and Cyrus the Virus. We can’t miss!”

The year is 2707. Cataclysmic events on Earth have transformed it into a wasteland, where what resources still exist are fought over by four mega-corporations: Bauhaus, Capital, Imperial and Mishima. An artillery exchange between two of these forces causes the unveiling of an ancient, massive and evil machine that turns the dead and dying into vicious mutants. The horde of the machine’s creations spill out onto the world and soon it’s apparent that conventional warfare can’t stop them. Brother Samuel (Ron Perlman), a senior member of a secret religious order on guard against the emergence of the mutants, assembles a small squad of brave men and women to travel into the heart of the machine and put an end to its evil. In exchange, the volunteers are given visas for family or loved ones to depart the Earth for one of the mega-corporations’ colonies on Mars or beyond. To keep a promise made to a battlefield brother, Sergeant Mitch Hunter (Thomas Jane) volunteers for the holy suicide mission, despite the fact he’s the polar opposite of Samuel. While the warrior-monk is courteous, penitent and hopeful, the soldier is apostate, sarcastic and brutal. Still, before the end Mitch shows that he’s a good man, or at least good enough to be chosen by God.

“Right, so my motivation for this scene is ‘Finish it so I can go back to pretending to whore myself instead of doing it for real.’ Got it.”

From my perspective, The Mutant Chronicles had a lot going for it. The aesthetic is an interesting mix of World War I and post-apocalyptic steampunk, and it works in giving the film a feel that is at once unique and familiar. The cast is, by and large, character actors who turn in good performances. The film’s opening sequences, with Ron Perlman’s always excellent narration followed by the trench warfare scene, seemed to indicate the movie was aiming high and might hit the mark. And there’s also the fact that you have Anna Watson and Devon Aoki together in the same flick. It can’t go terribly wrong, right?

“Devon, I don’t know if they’re going to go for this.”
“Anna, honey, you’re a luscious action babe who doesn’t talk. Trust me. They’ll go for it.”

Unfortunately, as the film goes on, the CG gets progressively worse, the writing takes a bit of a nose-dive and every character killed off takes some of the viewer’s enthusiasm with them. The ending is somewhat predictable, there’s no major character growth or even much character exploration, and the novelty of the aesthetic wears off once the team is in the old city and it becomes another expedition into your standard-issue dark rocky corridors. A lot of this, in my opinion, can be chalked up to bad direction. The director, Simon Hunter, makes the mistake of trying to focus on the spectacle rather than the story. Now, in this case, the story isn’t that great either, but it bears mentioning that even movies with huge budgets in comparison to The Mutant Chronicles fall into this insidious trap.

Let me take you on a tangential example. Say you have a couple of script-writers. They write two different scripts, which get made and released in the same year. One is lambasted by critics despite being a commercial success, and the other is lauded by audiences and the majority of critics alike. Logically, this cannot be the fault of the writers alone. Yes, both scripts have some issues and similarities in style that can have critics calling both films “poorly thought-out and kinda stupid.” However, the first film in our example is directed by someone who is known – perhaps even infamous – for distracting the audience from the weaknesses in the story with massive explosions and slender, panting actresses. The second is directed by more of an auteur, his visions on both the small and big screen noted for their innovation, strong characterization and level of mystery. The latter focuses on the characters, the situations they are in and works to have the audience invested in what happens to them. The former, on the other hand, goes the “tits and explosions” route. The Mutant Chronicles isn’t quite that blatant, but it does fall into the former category.

That’s a shame, really. There are good things about the film, and while I did feel it was overstaying its welcome towards the end, I didn’t consider having watched it a complete and utter waste of time. If nothing else, it’s reinforced my opinion that the good things about a film, be they actors, the script or the overall concept, can be let down when they’re put in the hands of someone inexperienced or incompetent. I’ll elaborate more on these points in tomorrow’s post, but for now, I will say this. If you like any of the listed actors, or want to see a dark future where capitalism is shown to be pretty damn evil, or if you like the idea of steam-powered flying machines, queue up The Mutant Chronicles in Netflix. On the other hand, if you’ve played the tabletop game, you might want to skip this. You might find things to like about it, but on the other hand, you might be like those fans who went to Stark Trek this summer and declared it RUINED FOREVER.

Josh Loomis can’t always make it to the local megaplex, and thus must turn to alternative forms of cinematic entertainment. There might not be overpriced soda pop & over-buttered popcorn, and it’s unclear if this week’s film came in the mail or was delivered via the dark & mysterious tubes of the Internet. Only one thing is certain… IT CAME FROM NETFLIX.

My work computer decided there was no point in being productive after the old UPS finally kicked the bucket. So, since I have very little time at the moment, here’s a look at some of the Perks I’ve dreamed up for the sci-fi tabletop RPG. Enjoy.

Perks

Perks are either passive or active. Passive Perks work automatically when they need to, Active Perks require spending Action Points.

Perks are either general or exclusive. General Perks are available to multiple professions, Exclusive Perks are only available to one profession and are lost if the player changes professions.

Some Perks add a skill or knowledge, and are neither passive nor active.

Discipline: The Moon is a harsh mistress, and life under the massive domes has taught you how to keep your cool. Any time you make a skill check that requires either concentration or maintaining your composure, after any attribute value(s) have been applied and points, perks and penalties are accounted for, you may spend a number of Action Points up to an amount equal to your level in order to pass. Beware, though, as keeping up a poker face can take a toll on you if done for too long. General, Active.

Hard Knocks: Life on Io has taught you how to take a punch. Either a family member sparred with you or the bullies used you for a punching bag… unless you were the bully. You do not apply damage penalties to your skill checks unless you are Exhausted. However, people see you as somewhat boorish. You can only apply one attribute to any skill check that includes Charisma. General, Passive.

Historian: Those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it. You’ve dedicated yourself to studying the lessons of the past, and your knowledge has become somewhat encyclopeadic. Applying this knowledge to any situation you’re in, you may spend an Action Point to reduce the amount of Action Points necessary to pass a skill check by half (rounded up). History can’t teach you everything, however, and if you rely too much on your knowledge, it may betray you in the end. General, Active.

Humorless B______: You are unimpressed with the attempts people make to amuse, charm, intimidate or persuade you. When rolling an opposed skill check in a social situation, you may apply the value of the associated attribute(s) *twice* to your roll. However, when *you* attempt to charm or persuade someone, you do not apply the values of *any* attribute(s) to your roll. Rolls to intimidate are unaffected. General, Passive.

Infiltrator: You know how to slip into and out of areas without being noticed. When rolling a check for your Sneak skill, apply the values of both your Agility and Perception to your roll. General, Passive.

Lockpicking: You gain the Lockpicking skill. This is a combined skill requiring Intelligence and Agility.

Lucky B______: In situations where most people get themselves maimed or killed, you always seem to come out on top. Once per game, for half your total Action Points, you may *reverse* the dice in your skill check roll, rather than applying attribute values or other Perks. Thus, a roll of 61 becomes a 16. General, Active.

Martial Arts: On the red sands of Mars, the disciples of the ancient and deadly arts of Terra’s greatest martial arts masters maintain their secrets, and you are one of the chosen few with access to that knowledge. When you engage in Unarmed Combat, your hands and feet are considered deadly weapons, and deal double damage. You also meditate and practice several habits condusive to the discipline required for your training, which means you do not apply the values of *any* attribute(s) to rolls involving deception, intimidation or ranged weapons. This penalty does not apply to the MARS system – how exactly are you supposed to dropkick a battlecruiser? General, Passive.

On Your Feet: Blows that might drop people without your perseverance barely faze you. Once per combat, spend a number of Action Points equal to double your level to negate the result of a damage roll that would otherwise render you Unconscious. General, Active.

Silver Tongue: You talk fast and smooth, and are very good at telling people want they want to hear. In any social situation, you may apply the value of your Charisma twice to your skill check. General, Passive.

Stargazer: You have never forgotten the wonder the felt the first time you looked up at the sky and wondered at the scale and scope of outer space. When you are in deep space, which includes the surface of an unterraformed world, you do not apply fatigue penalties to any skill checks unless you are Wounded. However, all your studies of the stars didn’t leave you much time for sports or physical activity. You can only apply one attribute to any skill checks involving Strength. General, Passive.

Urbanite: The sprawling cities of Terra make you a versatile asset to any situation. You’ve seen it all, heard it all and are ready for just about anything. At the end of a turn in which you’ve spent Action Points, you regain an amount equal to your level. Unfortunately, your urban lifestyle makes you ill-prepared for life outside of a city. In any situation outside of a city, you can only apply one attribute to skill checks you make. General, Passive.