• Finalizing my second composition testing of video/podcast production, with the video rendering now in the background. This should be almost a final test, before we start our Age of Ashes campaign next month. I managed to pull together some logos and intros, along with some music I am happy with, and now have a reliable process to edit and build the various components of the session. May still adjust a bit, but overall I am happy with these pieces. Video quality itself is of course still amateur – there is only so much that can be done with bargain price…

  • So my concerns about my past job turned out to be a bit premature – they came thru last week and finally managed to get the initial decision overturned. As a result, I am back to work as of today, with back-pay to be processed since the start of the “vacation”. Of course, now that I am back, most of the day has been a basic pattern. Everyone contacts me, starts off by saying it is great that I am back, and then oh by the way, here is a task that didn’t get done while you were gone (and…

  • Continuing my experiments and efforts with recording our Season 2 sessions, as we prepare to start Season 3. Specifically, I am trying out different camera angles and audio options, so that I can have a more dynamic game chronicle. So far, I think I am satisfied with the camera options. They are not top of the line – this is all on a shoe-string budget – but they are workable. I have one camera focused on me as the GM, one on the figures/terrain of the board, a wide-angle GoPro for the group, and an OBS recording on my laptop…

  • As we approach the Gencon convention, we are wrapping up our second season of our ongoing Pathfinder campaign with the Kingmaker adventure path. Chapter 1 has not progressed as quickly as I had hoped, so with only one game remaining, we are going to skip ahead a bit to the finale for our last session in two weeks. After that, we start preparations for Season 3, with the Age of Ashes storyline and Pathfinder version 2.

  • Small resurgence of Star Wars recently, first with X-Wing, and now with the opportunity to play some Legion. The terrain was rather limited (not sure where my hills and trees are, or if I still have them), but the game mat and the 3d-printed Turbolaser tower worked well, along with the game’s included barricades. As is notable, my painting is far behind, and it was a battle of grey on grey figures. Neither factor fortunately impacted the enjoyment of the game though, which played much better than I had previously recalled.

  • It has been a long time, but we finally had an opportunity to jump back into the cockpit and play some more X-Wing second edition this last Sunday. Joining us for the game where my sons, George and Ben, and their friends Carter and Craig. With five players, I quickly whipped up some multiplayer rules and options, that not only would make it competitive but also allow for the limited ship supply that I had. The mission was simple – closest to the center scored a team point for every turn – highest points at the end wins. Due to…

  • Small update on the job front – I have still not received any confirmation from the old company as to the option for me to return to work. At this stage, I have to conclude that it is a done deal, and move on to the job search option, if only because the medical insurance expires in a couple of weeks. It is a bittersweet ending, after having spent 24 years at the same company (despite several name and logo changes), and with numerous friends and contacts on the various accounts. However, I will not miss the 24/7 on-call responsibility,…

  • Nothing fancy, but in an effort to help remind myself of the various items I need to configure, connect, power, focus, and ultimate start recording with, I pulled together the following checklist. This is intended as a reminded for myself for our gaming sessions, but ultimately would apply for just about any such session. I am open to additional suggestions, if there is something I am missing – I am rather new at this entire process.