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Category: Nerd Culture

Dungeons and Dragons and Dice, Oh My: Part 2

Dungeons and Dragons and Dice, Oh My: Part 2

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Welcome back, intrepid adventurer and slayer of all things draconic! Last time, we looked at Ability Scores and class features, and how best to combine to two into a solid character foundation. In this post, we’ll be picking a race for our character, choosing an appropriate background, and spinning a backstory worthy of the mightiest of heroes. Without further ado, let’s jump right in. Step 2: Picking a Race and Alignment The list of Dungeons and Dragons races is a…

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Dungeons and Dragons and Dice, Oh My: Part 1

Dungeons and Dragons and Dice, Oh My: Part 1

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So you want to kill a dragon. Good, I like your enthusiasm. But hold you fantasy horses. Before you go delving into dungeons, rescuing townsfolk, and looting shiny trinkets, you’re going to have to figure out who you are first. How do you fight? What do you look like? Why do you do the things that do you? These questions and more are all answered during the first and most essential step to any Dungeons and Dragons campaign: character creation….

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A Traveler’s Guide to the Galaxy

A Traveler’s Guide to the Galaxy

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Life on the Outer Rim got you down? Sick of moisture farming and blue milk? Drop those power converters and listen up! We’re Lucas-Williams Inc., the galaxy’s leader in interstellar retreat planning, and we’re here to help you get far, far away for a long time. Here’s a list of our top five destinations for the traveler looking to trade two suns for one killer vacation. 1) Hoth Tired of sand? Try the snow! Located in the secluded Anoat sector,…

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Requiem for a D20

Requiem for a D20

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I have died 14 times. I have killed my best friends. I have fallen in love. Usually when someone starts a story with this clichéd (but oh so fun) device, they’re about to pivot into a pitch for why books are great. I’m going to make a much nerdier pivot into a pitch for why tabletop RPGs (Dungeons and Dragons) are great. RPGs offer nearly limitless customization and improvisation. You can do nearly anything you want. Each item on that…

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A Layman’s Explanation of Kingdom Hearts

A Layman’s Explanation of Kingdom Hearts

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Have you ever wanted to see Donald Duck/Octopus hybrid monstrosity? I really didn’t. And yet I have. Oh, don’t worry–it gets weirder. Not only did I have to witness this horrific perversion, but I also had to watch it–and turtle Goofy–dance underwater to a song that included the lyric “finny fun.” Apparently this is Kingdom Hearts. My friend, Leah, has been playing through the entire franchise since finals week last semester (she’s really responsible). This has served as my first…

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Blizzard’s Failed Legacy

Blizzard’s Failed Legacy

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One of my earliest memories, if not the earliest, is being four or five years old and watching the ending cinematic for Blizzard’s original Diablo. Yes, my folks made some questionable parenting decisions. Diablo was the first game I had ever played, and it quickly got me hooked into the entire Blizzard catalogue. The only Blizzard games I haven’t played are Overwatch and Heroes of the Storm. I have at least a basic level of lore knowledge for all of…

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The Villain Always Wins: Why The Bad Guy Is More Fun

The Villain Always Wins: Why The Bad Guy Is More Fun

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My favorite scene in the Lion King is the one where Scar kills Mufasa. It might not surprise anyone to learn that when I share this fact, I usually get reactions of shock and horror. This scene makes me excited; it makes most people extremely sad. But how can you not love it? It’s the culmination of the brilliant villain’s evil plan! It’s the rise of Scar, voiced by the magnificent Jeremy Irons. In an instant, Mufasa’s rescue of his…

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Bioshock Infinite Review

Bioshock Infinite Review

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Perhaps this is a bit late—Bioshock Infinite was released back in 2013—but I only just finished it, and let me just say, all the hype surrounding it was totally warranted. For my final blog, I would like to discuss this amazing game and hopefully make you interested enough to try it out for yourself, if you haven’t already. If you’ve ever played a Bioshock game before, you pretty much know what you’re going to get: a story-driven, linear, first-person shooter…

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Making Games is Hard

Making Games is Hard

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I’ve been making games independently since high school, mostly just simple 2D games for the PC, but the amount of work required for even the simplest games is staggering. It makes me think about all the hard work that goes into games made by small teams, like Dear Esther, Braid, The Path, Super Meat Boy…the list goes on. After watching the documentary Indie Game: The Movie (watch the trailer here) I better understood the pain and struggle of completing a…

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Little Inferno Review

Little Inferno Review

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Little Inferno may be the strangest game I have ever played. It is many things, and at the same time, nothing. It’s hard to explain. I don’t even think I had fun playing it, and yet I still enjoyed it. Or maybe appreciate is the better word for it. It is definitely an art game, and difficult to recommend. If you’re looking for something distinctly game-y, like Tomorrow Corporation’s previous work (World of Goo), you will be disappointed. If, however,…

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