Jeff “Dundee” Freeman

 Posted by (Visited 25718 times)  Misc
Sep 302008
 

jeff_freemanYears ago, when I was a young punk kid on UO, there was this really sharp, really witty, really annoying guy named Dundee on the r.g.c.u.o newsgroups. He challenged everything I said, and I got into epic discussions with him. He was an avid opponent of the PvP and PK structure that UO used, and had no patience for all of my endless reasons why it was important to allow player freedom and agency, saying that I was allowing jerks to run roughshod over everyone (and in the end, I came to agree with him).

His reasoning got more and more sophisticated as we argued. It was clear he was very knowledgeable about games. So eventually, I dared him. I don’t recall what it was in regard to, but I suggested that he go grab a mud codebase and just try his ideas.

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The Sunday Poem: Watching a Play

 Posted by (Visited 8177 times)  The Sunday Poem  Tagged with:
Sep 282008
 

From afar, the patchwork paisleys, tights
and robes, gaudy gowns
a glitter, the ladies

all a carnival, a sumptuous play, riches
on display until full light
hits her full force and then we see

the sawdust backgrounds, painted bright
to eye fool eyefulls, add horizons,
set the stages

gap between surreal, unreal, and real
and really, do they know
the way they fool us themselves?

and then the way the light hits
their saddened eyes
the lacework lashes

such pride in paisley promises
stony pride
in teetering at proscenium’s gap

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Sep 262008
 

Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout, stalwart plucky young Southern Gothic reporter,  has landed a prized interview with one of the first vampires to go public…

Sarah had fretted quite a lot before the interview; photos of Renaldo Angelicus Dramatico had revealed him to be exactly the brooding type that she used to dream about as a teenager. Which was only a year ago, before ths small-time local station morning show gig. But now that she was under the lights and before the cameras, she felt better about it. The assistant producer, Jodi from Minnesota, had tried to get her to calm down, but they couldn’t help but giggle about it, trading off-color remarks about long… fangs.

Until he walked in. A blousy white shirt, revealing smooth and hairless pectorals. A confident stride and a firm handshake, even as his eyes flicked up and down her body as if she were just meat. Which she supposed she was, in a way. His hand was dry but not clammy, smooth and uncalloused, and his skin sparkled under the lights.

As the cameras ran, Sarah felt like she babbled through the introductions: “unusual opportunity,” “learn more about these creatures of the night” whatever. The vampire merely looked on her patiently until the formalities were complete. Finally, the preliminaries were done, and he gave a little half-bow from his chair as she was introduced.

“I do hope you aren’t here to eat me,” she said, as her opening gambit.

“Ah no, senorita, I could never do such a thing. You are far too lovely to make that sort of meal.”

“You really aren’t from this century, are you,” she said, looking down at her notes. “So, tell me about yourself. I understand you’re a pacifist vampire–”

“War is such a waste,” Renaldo interjected. “All that blood running in the streets.”

“–A pacifist vampire who only drinks synthetic blood or blood taken humanely from animals under PETA’s supervision, and you are not evil but in fact are cursed to live forever with a remorseful soul to atone for horrific deeds in the past until you meet your one true love. Isn’t that a little unusual?”

“Not at all. In fact, that’s the case for about one in five of the vampire population.” Continue reading »

Jack Thompson disbarred

 Posted by (Visited 19438 times)  Game talk  Tagged with:
Sep 252008
 

Well, it finally happened — Jack Thompson has been disbarred. Naturally, he’s not taking this lying down.

For those who don’t know, Thompson is either the crusading lawyer who fights to keep adult entertainment out of the hands of kids despite persecution from his own profession and the government; or a witch-hunting publicity hound who targets the game industry with outrageous claims.

It’s unfortunate that people with nuanced takes, like Jim Gee or Henry Jenkins, get a fraction of the ink.

Sep 222008
 

There was a fair amount of coverage of this panel, despite the relatively small attendance. This was the one where we announced the Metaplace TOS. Some of the coverage:

The discussion has been quite lively, and many excellent points were raised for possible revisions, many posted right here on the site in the discussion thread. I plan to reconvene with the lawyers and this feedback and present another draft for the Internet to argue over. 🙂

 Comments Off on AGDC08: The better EULA panel and MP TOS feedback