Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2018-01-25T18:05:45-05:00
Aw, lucky. I apparently don't have weekends anymore, I can have something scheduled literally any time, even sunday late evening, and it's required!
Yeah, this teacher has no concept of time off. I really want to go around and explore, travel even, but almost all of the best or only times are often taken by an obligatory excursion.
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2018-01-25T18:09:09-05:00
In fact, it makes meeting people in Europe, now that it's possible, difficult.
Thankfully my brother and his girlfriend and a former exchange student and his wife, all of whom live in Bern, Switzerland, have figured on like the second weekend of March, and in fact can come all the way to Berlin, to meet with me. Gonna be a crazy, fun weekend, but again, there's something with this class that has a possibility of taking place that entire saturday!
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2018-01-26T06:34:13-05:00
Morning kittens. Happy Friday! Can't wait for the day to be over with so that I can get started. It will be mid 60's on Saturday so I will enjoy having the windows open. And now I'm past job training, I can get back to book reading. I missed that.
@BaKhan: How is your wife's ear? Still hearing popping sounds?
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2018-01-26T07:51:27-05:00
Geist, that sounds like a great, relaxing weekend! Have fun and enjoy it! Read an extra few pages for me while you're at it, because I won't really have the time this weekend.
Mike Kabala 2018-01-26T08:38:42-05:00
Morning kittens.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2018-01-26T09:06:57-05:00
Morning kittens.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2018-01-26T09:13:12-05:00
@Geist, yeah she had another round of popping noises followed by a brief period of being able to hear a little bit out of right ear on Tuesday. Honestly we try not to talk about it all the time as I'm doing my best to distract her from thinking about it 24/7. I really hope that it will come back on its own, but really only time will tell. I'm always trying to be hopeful, and as supportive as I can be. This has been a pretty rough go of it for sure, but I know we can persevere.
Mike Kabala 2018-01-27T11:39:39-05:00
Morning kittens. We finally made it to the weekend.
There’s a heated debate over on TEZ regarding whether or not TED is a real dog, LOL.
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2018-01-27T13:31:09-05:00
Haha, the past day has been really strange.
Firstly, I just realized the events of my past day or so were the kind where they're really interesting, strange, and funny, but I don't know how much of it I'd really feel comfortable talking about in any level of detail.
Then, earlier today, just before going to eat, I thought "Huh, I think I'm already noticeably losing weight!", but then realized a good part of it might have been that I literally hadn't eaten anything but chocolate and wine in the past 24+ hours. Not exactly the perfect diet.
Though somehow I didn't feel hungry at all. I've gone 3 hours without food and felt hungrier than I did after a literal full day!
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2018-01-29T07:32:09-05:00
Morning kittens. Last week was stressful because my boss had me doing a task that I'm not completely skilled at. I know I can train for it and will do that within the coming months. Just sucks because people already think I'm an idiot at work.
I have one more part to complete for my security license and then I can start looking for part time work. I truly hope this is it because all of the hurdles I've been jumping through have been annoying.
It's month end close so I will be posting sporadically. Hope everyone's weekend was nice. It was warm here in D.C. Like 65 degrees warm. This makes me think that the winter storm that everyone thinks we will get next month will be a doosey.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2018-01-29T09:09:11-05:00
@Zem, remember, you need to eat some real food as well, your brain needs real food! ;) As long as you've having fun, having strange times, its all good!
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2018-01-29T09:11:42-05:00
@Geist, If the people you work with think you're and idiot... they must have mental issues! Seriously, I would never ever think that you were anything less than amazing (ok, sometime super funny too). ;) I hope all these hurdles will have been worth it in the short term, I believe that in the long term they will prove to be invaluable, as its actual proof that you are very capable! Can't argue with results! ;)
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2018-01-29T09:11:54-05:00
Also, Morning Kittens!
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2018-01-29T09:27:53-05:00
Howdy BaKhan!
I hope so too. I really want to get my bills all paid off so I don't have this hanging over my head.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2018-01-29T09:51:33-05:00
Morning GM! What's for lunch?
(Yes, I'm hungry. I didn't eat breakfast)
Mike Kabala 2018-01-29T10:02:30-05:00
Morning kittens. I finally got to eat my spider last weekend.
... It did NOT taste like chicken.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2018-01-29T10:05:16-05:00
@CB: Ewwwwwww. Did you end up picking hairs out of your teeth?
Mike Kabala 2018-01-29T10:08:07-05:00
@Geist, yeah. It was very dry, the consistency of straw, and tasted like a mild smoky jerky. I kept finding pieces in my mouth which gave me a renewed burst of flavor when I chewed them. I needed something to wash it down or I would have been chewing forever.
Mike Kabala 2018-01-29T10:09:26-05:00
If I ever do it again, I think I'll eat it a piece at a time rather than just popping the whole thing in my mouth at once. I actually liked the taste though.
Mike Kabala 2018-01-29T10:17:12-05:00
Some of you may be wondering why I would even consider eating another one of these. Here are some of my reasons:
1. I like the taste.
2. It grosses other people out.
3. I can gain street cred without having to ingest a toxic laundry pod. (Don't do that ... SERIOUSLY!)
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2018-01-29T10:21:12-05:00
@CB: When it comes to bugs, you get a big "NOPE" out of me. I'm pretty open when it comes to trying out foods but I can't convince myself to chew on any insects. Killed too many of them to consider them food. Even wrapping them in bacon won't get me to eat one.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2018-01-29T10:22:16-05:00
@CB: I'm still not sure why human old enough to know better are chewing on those pods. I read that a 19 y.o. male did it. I weep for the coming generations.
Mike Kabala 2018-01-29T10:23:02-05:00
@Geist, that's OK. If everyone ate spiders, it wouldn't be fun any more.
Mike Kabala 2018-01-29T10:28:19-05:00
@Geist, I think it stems from two traits common to many teenagers:
1. The desire to rebel against their Parents.
2. The (false) belief in their own ability to cheat death.
Every generation has had to deal with this in some form or another. I'd like to stress that before I put anything in my body (spiders, magnets, implants, etc.) I do thorough research beforehand to make sure that doing so is perfectly safe. I would never do something for shock value if I knew it would harm me.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2018-01-29T11:12:08-05:00
Ah, the fire of youth. I almost envy some of the antics the youngins get into. I once witnessed a group of teenagers skateboarding in the middle of the street, no fear in them.
@Geist: Not sure what's for lunch. I need to go buy it. Probably just going to get a BLT from the Italian deli just below the office. Or might go get a burger, sub, or something else from one of the various food courts near here.
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2018-01-29T11:56:16-05:00
A nice haul from the Ritter Sport SchokoWelt today! Part was closed for renovations, but I came back with about half a kilo of amazing chocolate kinds, one bar I customized!
Other than that, one bar with I think coffee bean pieces, a chocolate-brownie, one with a butter-cookie, and chocolate mousse!
`
I wanna say this'll last me like 2 months, but I know I'll be lucky if it lasts 2 weeks! Only 8 euro for it all, though, and half of that was the customizeable one!
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2018-01-29T11:59:05-05:00
Ooh, that's awesome, CB! And yeah, plenty of street cred! You can just whip that out from now on whenever you get bored, or to settle a discussion. Unless it's about who has to kill a spider. Then you may not want to bring that up.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2018-01-29T12:35:19-05:00
So, people in France are fighting over Nutella. I've heard it's a tasty product (I don't think I've ever had any) but I never thought they would go wild over that stuff. Baguettes, yes. Processed spread, no.
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2018-01-29T13:31:18-05:00
Geist, I don't understand the fanatical love of nutella here. I mean, there are plenty of similar things Americans go crazy for and Europeans don't understand, so I can understand my not understanding, but it's never really been my thing. Kind of like chocolatey peanut-butter, but with like hazelnuts instead of peanuts, and I don't really like hazelnut.
`
Then again, in America, we have Sriracha (perfect counter-example), peanut butter, and I'm sure we could find tons of other similar examples.
And like Marmite for the british and especially Australians. Nobody else understands it, but to them, it's just a really common thing.
`
All that being said, fighting over it? Literally fighting? Yeah... that I don't understand.
Mike Kabala 2018-01-29T13:33:12-05:00
@Geist, they're not going wild over the PRODUCT. They're going wild over the DEAL!
Think of it as Black Friday, only in France.
Lord Zombitten 2018-01-29T13:43:08-05:00
Nutella is okay to me. I don't understand the popularity of the various forms of hazelnut-chocolate spread in Europe (there are several) when they have staight up, unadulterated chocolate spread there. It comes in milk and dark, and it's delicious. I used to make peanut butter and chocolate sandwiches. That was with Dutch peanut butter, too, which has a different texture and is less sweet than American peanut butter. I actually like the Dutch stuff better.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2018-01-29T14:35:52-05:00
@CB: The deal isn't worth punching another person over. If I can't even understand punching another person of a flat screen TV deal, I darn sure can't understand doing it for a processed spread. It's not like there isn't a recipe for making your own on the internet. Heck, it's not that expensive full priced in France. And the excuse that was giving was that parents insisted they had to get it for their kids.
Mike Kabala 2018-01-29T15:35:44-05:00
True, @Geist, but we're not talking about normal people. We're talking about deal-crazy shoppers.
... Ooh, that would be a good scenario for a board game!
Lord Zombitten 2018-01-29T16:12:26-05:00
Deathsprint: Shopping!
The game wherein you have to get everything on your list before time rums out. The challenge is that other people need some of the same things as you, and supplies are limited. If you fail to get EVERYTHING on your list, something bad happens (loved one/pet dies, hospital blows up, superflu is released, player character dies, etc.). All any player knows is what items they need, and what will happen if they don't get it all. Pick up upgrades along the way so you can be sure to be the first to get eberything on your list and get out of the store!
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2018-01-29T16:56:20-05:00
@LZ: That is a KS campaign I would back
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2018-01-29T16:57:19-05:00
LZ, that sounds amazing! I haven't seen chocolate spread here (nor peanut butter, though I'd expect that less), though I haven't really been looking, but I may have to make that sandwich. It seems so simple and perfect, yet something I'd never even thought of!
`
Also, I'd love to get milk or something, but I don't have a fridge, so I'd have like 30 minutes to drink it all. But all this chocolate is so lonely!
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2018-01-29T16:59:01-05:00
Also, that would be a great and hilarious RPG scenario! All sorts of obstacles come up, but you have to deal with them in true D&D fashion!
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2018-01-30T07:51:01-05:00
Morning kittens
Mike Kabala 2018-01-30T08:16:17-05:00
Good morning kittens, @LZ, can I get a Print and Play of that game?
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2018-01-30T09:11:44-05:00
Morning kittens.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2018-01-30T09:18:12-05:00
@LZ, that sounds like and awesome game! I could see the players represented by shopping carts of death! I see the game as a fast brutal game, 4 player, one 12 x 12 tile, a layout of a shopping area, grocery store, kids toy store etc. each tile being a different store, possibly with an ability to add them together to make a mall? The board would have a card that would allow you a random set up of stuff you'd kill to have... and each player would have a draw pile giving them their objectives. You'd have to have enough cards to represent all the items, but you'd also have the overlap so that people were trying to get the same stuff. Also in the pile would be stuff that would help the player, and hinder other players. Stuff like, banana peel, empty package, misplaced item (would allow you to turn any other item into one you are looking for). That would be a super fun, competitive, yet ridiculous game!
Mike Kabala 2018-01-30T09:34:58-05:00
I'm guessing there's enough talent in this group to actually design and develop this game!
Mike Kabala 2018-01-30T09:36:42-05:00
@BaKhan, are you thinking of a board that actually has 144 tiles on it? (12 x 12) Or is one tile 12 x 12 (inches, cm, mm?)
Mike Kabala 2018-01-30T09:37:46-05:00
Forgot to mention, we also would have a good pool of playtesters.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2018-01-30T09:45:13-05:00
@LZ: is it EU friendly? With sleeves?
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2018-01-30T09:52:56-05:00
@CB, I was thinking inches. So a foot by a foot, with one inch squares. Something that wouldn't have to take up a lot of table space. And would also allow for multiple tiles to be put together to have a bigger game. A timer could also be used to drive the action. A 30 second timer, passed as soon as its empty to the next player, if you haven't performed your actions in 30 secs, you lose you turn? Something like that, to keep that pressure up!
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2018-01-30T09:55:35-05:00
@Geist, definitely not on both counts! Screw 'em! ;) Although, scratch 'n' sniff is still on the table... ;)
Mike Kabala 2018-01-30T09:58:56-05:00
Oh, OK. I was thinking of something more like TEZ, where the tiles ARE the stores. That would give you some flexibility in arranging how the stores are laid out.
Mike Kabala 2018-01-30T10:00:40-05:00
One of the things to buy definitely has to be fruitcake!
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2018-01-30T10:03:03-05:00
@CB, hmmm I must be explaining myself wrong. Yes, each store would be one tile. Each tile would have a 12 x 12 grid on it, of one inch squares. There would be aisles and other obsticles already on the board, and locations to put the different items. The placement of the items to be determined by a deck of cards with locations vs items on it. Each character would then either have their own draw pile, or pull from a common pool which would have the items that they need to get, and benefit/obstruction cards. The items would need a cap of some kind, ie: you need three to win, or they could be worth points and you need x points to win. Something along those lines. Just off the top of my head...
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2018-01-30T10:03:43-05:00
OMG! The fruitcake could also be used as a shield! It would be destroyed but save you from an attack?
Mike Kabala 2018-01-30T10:07:06-05:00
Wow, it wouldn't take many stores to max out the gaming table! Sounds like you're leaning toward a single store scenario, with aisles and departments.
Mike Kabala 2018-01-30T10:11:52-05:00
It would take three or four sheets of paper just to lay out a single tile in Print and Play, since most printers are constrained to Letter size or A4. Probably could do 4 6x6 tiles and then paste them together to get the entire 12x12 store tile.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2018-01-30T10:14:01-05:00
Stretch goals:
At $10,000, better weapons
At $20,000 little shopping carts with wheels that work
At $30,000 more prizes to fight over like a 90 inch, 4D TV
Nobody's making it yet. LZ came up with the original idea and we've been playing around with the idea ever since. Currently, I'm looking for some software that will allow me to lay out a 12x12 grid and then overlay it with graphics.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2018-01-30T10:48:06-05:00
@CB, could you get a free copy of Microsoft Visio, or a trial? Thats what I use at work and I think it works pretty well as you can import almost any kind of picture into it.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2018-01-30T10:48:51-05:00
@GM, we should all make it! It could be a Kitten Corps game! We'd all get rich like Elan and co. It'll be awesome! ;)
Mike Kabala 2018-01-30T10:51:07-05:00
@BaKhan, does Visio run on a Mac? That's what I'm designing on.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2018-01-30T10:52:17-05:00
@CB, I'm not sure, I think if you could emuluate a pc, then you could, but it is a windows program... I could however make a pdf of a 12 x 12 grid and email it to you though, if that helped?
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2018-01-30T10:59:25-05:00
Things to "shop" for: Fruitcake, Choco-nut spread, lettuce field children, 90" 4d tv, ... what else are crazy people fighting over? ;)
@BaKhan: Anything and everything is what they are fighting over.
Mike Kabala 2018-01-30T11:02:44-05:00
Thanks @BaKhan, but I'm leaning towards Photoshop. I can create a layer with just the grid and then use it to position graphics over the top. My goal is to eventually create a PDF, but not necessarily to start with one. If you have a grid in PNG format, that would be a start, but I can probably whip one up just as easily.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2018-01-30T11:08:52-05:00
@BaKhan: Whatever new home game system is currently popular as well as that cool new game to play it with. Sneakers. Tickle me Oscar (or some other hot toy). UGG boots.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2018-01-30T11:10:27-05:00
@CB, I don't at this time, so yeah, I'm sure your could whip one up pretty quickly. I've never used photoshop before, but it does seem like the best one to use for pretty much anything graphic wise. If there is anything I can do to help, just let me know. I'll punt away myself and see what I can come up as well, as time allows anyways... ;)
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2018-01-30T11:13:38-05:00
@Geist, yeah thats what I'm talking about! Just have to give them some slightly different names and boom! I'm thinking having 10 or so items, so that theres variety, but still over lap.
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2018-01-30T11:18:33-05:00
@BaKhan: Don't forget the high price fancy booze like Cristal. Or high status shoes like Jimmy Choos.
Lord Zombitten 2018-01-30T12:42:42-05:00
I was also thinking of having little shopping carts of death be the game pieces!
As for the gaming console, call it the GameKastr 4k. Then there's the handheld console, it's the GameKastr 4kP. Because, it's not a serious product if the name makes sense and is spelled correctly...
Grocery item: Chocolate Sugar Blasts
Lord Zombitten 2018-01-30T12:44:16-05:00
Also, I was thinking more modular than 12"x12", like 4"x4". I don't know how well that would work, though.
Lord Zombitten 2018-01-30T12:46:53-05:00
Alternative title could be Blackest Friday
Mike Kabala 2018-01-30T14:00:33-05:00
Good news everybody! We now have a store tile! It's completely empty except for the grey linoleum floor, but it's about ready for us to put things like shelves, cash registers, etc in there!
Mike Kabala 2018-01-30T14:02:49-05:00
If we go with the 4x4 idea, we can fit nine of them in there. If we go with 6x6, we can fit four of them in there.
Of course, we can also go full-custom, with each of the 144 tiles containing something unique.
Mike Kabala 2018-01-30T14:04:24-05:00
We can control how traffic flows through the store by the way we arrange the shelves, tables, walls, etc. A shopper can't go through a shelf, for instance. They would have to use the aisles that we define in the layout.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2018-01-30T14:08:39-05:00
I see pros and cons to having modular tiles. My thoughts were, that for a "normal" game, it would be fast, 30 mins or so, and for a longer more challenging game, putting 3+ together and go from there. I thought it would be cool to have a quick, one shot, and a longer 1.5 hour game, all in one package. That way, if you only had time for a quick play, you could still choose this as an option.
Mike Kabala 2018-01-30T14:08:46-05:00
Do we want to put in a bathroom? One of the cards could say, "Don't pick up any more items until after you've visited the bathroom."
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2018-01-30T14:13:37-05:00
Yeah, that could be cool, maybe a customer service as well, for the same purpose? Maybe a rule where you have to leave your items outside while you're in the bathroom, and other players can get a chance to raid your cart?
Lord Zombitten 2018-01-30T14:13:44-05:00
Good point, BaKhan. I like the idea of having a restroom. How many actions per turn? I was figuring one move action would be moving up to three squares on the grid (since everyone will be running most of the time). Other actions would include such things as picking an item off the shelf (two for heavy items), attacking an opponent, taking an item out of an opponent's cart (must attack first), and others that I haven't thought of yet.
Lord Zombitten 2018-01-30T14:14:45-05:00
BaKhan, stop thinking my thoughts! Wait, no, keep it up, that shows we've got a good thing going here. At least I think it does...
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2018-01-30T14:15:22-05:00
@LZ, I was thinking a D6 worth of actions maybe? One action to move one tile, one action to pick something up, one action to draw a card, one action to play a card?
Lord Zombitten 2018-01-30T14:15:42-05:00
BTW, my good point comment was in reference to having the 12x12 tile so that you can have a quick game and add others for a longer game.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2018-01-30T14:17:37-05:00
@LZ, lol, you know we'd have such a good time hanging out right? ;) I totally think that we (collective here) could easily bang this one out! Hell, we're over halfway there already!
Lord Zombitten 2018-01-30T14:18:25-05:00
I think giving everyone a set number of actions at the beginning would be more balanced, particularly since I was thinking each wound would take an action from the player receiving it. You can restore all actions by doing nothing in a turn, but your cart is vulnerable until your next turn.
Rod "BaKhan" Mitchell 2018-01-30T14:20:52-05:00
@LZ, okay, so would there be variation between characters then? Perhaps, a senior citizen with a motorized cart, could move further for an action point, but costs more to pick an item up? Something like that?
Lord Zombitten 2018-01-30T14:31:15-05:00
Variation in characters can get sticky. You'd want to make sure everyone's strengths were balanced out by their weaknesses. I'm also not sure if my idea of losing actions is the best or only way to keep track of wounds. I'm just spitballing here. I think different weapons ought to have different effects. So, what kind of weapons do we want, with effects, and then the other side is armor and its effects?
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2018-01-30T14:37:12-05:00
@CB: How about certain obstacles like the free sample lady that will hold you up for a turn or two?
Lord Zombitten 2018-01-30T14:46:58-05:00
@Geist, I like that. I think drawing a card at the beginning of your turn should be mandatory. The card will either be something to help you (weapon, armor, extra action, decoy, etc.) or an obstacle (sample lady, restroom, empty package, etc.). Additional cards can be drawn at the cost of one action each.
Mike Kabala 2018-01-30T14:52:51-05:00
@Geist, we could do free samples. The store layout is really flexible right now. We'll need to decide how far someone can move during a turn. One grid square seems like a good starting point. We could add accelerators, like roller skates to allow moving more than one square per turn. Then again, a 12x12 grid would require a minimum 144 moves to canvass the entire store,
Mike Kabala 2018-01-30T15:00:14-05:00
On further reflection, we could make the Free Sample Lady a moveable element, represented by a token on the board. It would be really funny if she could "hunt you down" and make you try a sample.
Man...the things I miss out on when work actually ends up being busy(and when the computer decides that 1pm is the PERFECT time to restart for updates)
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2018-01-30T15:09:15-05:00
the Free Sample Lady a moveable element, represented by a token on the board. It would be really funny if she could "hunt you down" and make you try a sample.
That would be the perfume lady. Hunting you down and spraying you with some cheap scent that makes you gag. Lose a turn if she catches up with you.
Mike Kabala 2018-01-30T16:04:57-05:00
Here's a (very rough) layout just to give everyone an idea of what can be done. It has lots of shelves, a bathroom, bargain tables, a cosmetics counter, impulse racks, and two cashiers (one of which is hardly ever staffed)
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2018-01-30T16:28:56-05:00
Wow, I get dragged away all afternoon and evening (just as you guys are getting on in America) and get back at 10:30, find I've missed an entire full page of chat here!
Wow, it's great to see this place so full again, but... yeah, I don't think I have the time right now to look through all of that!
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2018-01-30T16:37:14-05:00
Hahaha! Man, I really wish I hadn't had to miss today!
`
Blackest Friday is a great name! And I love all the different ideas, especially the sample lady hunting you down! Haha, this game would be awesome!
Maybe if this ever goes anywhere, we could pass the idea on to the EK team for help figuring out if it'd even be possible to actually make it! Of course it'd have to be released on a Black Friday, though.
Micah "Zem the Mattress" Philson 2018-01-30T16:37:29-05:00
Or Cyber Monday, just for the irony!
Geist de la Muerte Gatito 2018-01-31T06:20:17-05:00
Morning kittens. Damn, it's cold outside. I really want to go back and be under my electric blanket. The office has been kinda cold the last couple of days.
Mike Kabala 2018-01-31T08:04:55-05:00
Good morning shoppers ... er, kittens.
Mike Kabala 2018-01-31T08:13:09-05:00
It'd be cool if one of the items you could buy was a kitten.
Aw, lucky. I apparently don't have weekends anymore, I can have something scheduled literally any time, even sunday late evening, and it's required!
Yeah, this teacher has no concept of time off. I really want to go around and explore, travel even, but almost all of the best or only times are often taken by an obligatory excursion.
In fact, it makes meeting people in Europe, now that it's possible, difficult.
Thankfully my brother and his girlfriend and a former exchange student and his wife, all of whom live in Bern, Switzerland, have figured on like the second weekend of March, and in fact can come all the way to Berlin, to meet with me. Gonna be a crazy, fun weekend, but again, there's something with this class that has a possibility of taking place that entire saturday!
Morning kittens. Happy Friday! Can't wait for the day to be over with so that I can get started. It will be mid 60's on Saturday so I will enjoy having the windows open. And now I'm past job training, I can get back to book reading. I missed that.
@BaKhan: How is your wife's ear? Still hearing popping sounds?
Geist, that sounds like a great, relaxing weekend! Have fun and enjoy it! Read an extra few pages for me while you're at it, because I won't really have the time this weekend.
Morning kittens.
Morning kittens.
@Geist, yeah she had another round of popping noises followed by a brief period of being able to hear a little bit out of right ear on Tuesday. Honestly we try not to talk about it all the time as I'm doing my best to distract her from thinking about it 24/7. I really hope that it will come back on its own, but really only time will tell. I'm always trying to be hopeful, and as supportive as I can be. This has been a pretty rough go of it for sure, but I know we can persevere.
Morning kittens. We finally made it to the weekend.
There’s a heated debate over on TEZ regarding whether or not TED is a real dog, LOL.
Haha, the past day has been really strange.
Firstly, I just realized the events of my past day or so were the kind where they're really interesting, strange, and funny, but I don't know how much of it I'd really feel comfortable talking about in any level of detail.
Then, earlier today, just before going to eat, I thought "Huh, I think I'm already noticeably losing weight!", but then realized a good part of it might have been that I literally hadn't eaten anything but chocolate and wine in the past 24+ hours. Not exactly the perfect diet.
Though somehow I didn't feel hungry at all. I've gone 3 hours without food and felt hungrier than I did after a literal full day!
Morning kittens. Last week was stressful because my boss had me doing a task that I'm not completely skilled at. I know I can train for it and will do that within the coming months. Just sucks because people already think I'm an idiot at work.
I have one more part to complete for my security license and then I can start looking for part time work. I truly hope this is it because all of the hurdles I've been jumping through have been annoying.
It's month end close so I will be posting sporadically. Hope everyone's weekend was nice. It was warm here in D.C. Like 65 degrees warm. This makes me think that the winter storm that everyone thinks we will get next month will be a doosey.
@Zem, remember, you need to eat some real food as well, your brain needs real food! ;) As long as you've having fun, having strange times, its all good!
@Geist, If the people you work with think you're and idiot... they must have mental issues! Seriously, I would never ever think that you were anything less than amazing (ok, sometime super funny too). ;) I hope all these hurdles will have been worth it in the short term, I believe that in the long term they will prove to be invaluable, as its actual proof that you are very capable! Can't argue with results! ;)
Also, Morning Kittens!
Howdy BaKhan!
I hope so too. I really want to get my bills all paid off so I don't have this hanging over my head.
Also, I purchased this to celebrate.
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EM5CD4Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00…
Morning kittens.
Morning GM! What's for lunch?
(Yes, I'm hungry. I didn't eat breakfast)
Morning kittens. I finally got to eat my spider last weekend.
... It did NOT taste like chicken.
@CB: Ewwwwwww. Did you end up picking hairs out of your teeth?
@Geist, yeah. It was very dry, the consistency of straw, and tasted like a mild smoky jerky. I kept finding pieces in my mouth which gave me a renewed burst of flavor when I chewed them. I needed something to wash it down or I would have been chewing forever.
If I ever do it again, I think I'll eat it a piece at a time rather than just popping the whole thing in my mouth at once. I actually liked the taste though.
Some of you may be wondering why I would even consider eating another one of these. Here are some of my reasons:
1. I like the taste.
2. It grosses other people out.
3. I can gain street cred without having to ingest a toxic laundry pod. (Don't do that ... SERIOUSLY!)
@CB: When it comes to bugs, you get a big "NOPE" out of me. I'm pretty open when it comes to trying out foods but I can't convince myself to chew on any insects. Killed too many of them to consider them food. Even wrapping them in bacon won't get me to eat one.
@CB: I'm still not sure why human old enough to know better are chewing on those pods. I read that a 19 y.o. male did it. I weep for the coming generations.
@Geist, that's OK. If everyone ate spiders, it wouldn't be fun any more.
@Geist, I think it stems from two traits common to many teenagers:
1. The desire to rebel against their Parents.
2. The (false) belief in their own ability to cheat death.
Every generation has had to deal with this in some form or another. I'd like to stress that before I put anything in my body (spiders, magnets, implants, etc.) I do thorough research beforehand to make sure that doing so is perfectly safe. I would never do something for shock value if I knew it would harm me.
Ah, the fire of youth. I almost envy some of the antics the youngins get into. I once witnessed a group of teenagers skateboarding in the middle of the street, no fear in them.
@Geist: Not sure what's for lunch. I need to go buy it. Probably just going to get a BLT from the Italian deli just below the office. Or might go get a burger, sub, or something else from one of the various food courts near here.
A nice haul from the Ritter Sport SchokoWelt today! Part was closed for renovations, but I came back with about half a kilo of amazing chocolate kinds, one bar I customized!
Other than that, one bar with I think coffee bean pieces, a chocolate-brownie, one with a butter-cookie, and chocolate mousse!
`
I wanna say this'll last me like 2 months, but I know I'll be lucky if it lasts 2 weeks! Only 8 euro for it all, though, and half of that was the customizeable one!
Ooh, that's awesome, CB! And yeah, plenty of street cred! You can just whip that out from now on whenever you get bored, or to settle a discussion. Unless it's about who has to kill a spider. Then you may not want to bring that up.
So, people in France are fighting over Nutella. I've heard it's a tasty product (I don't think I've ever had any) but I never thought they would go wild over that stuff. Baguettes, yes. Processed spread, no.
Geist, I don't understand the fanatical love of nutella here. I mean, there are plenty of similar things Americans go crazy for and Europeans don't understand, so I can understand my not understanding, but it's never really been my thing. Kind of like chocolatey peanut-butter, but with like hazelnuts instead of peanuts, and I don't really like hazelnut.
`
Then again, in America, we have Sriracha (perfect counter-example), peanut butter, and I'm sure we could find tons of other similar examples.
And like Marmite for the british and especially Australians. Nobody else understands it, but to them, it's just a really common thing.
`
All that being said, fighting over it? Literally fighting? Yeah... that I don't understand.
@Geist, they're not going wild over the PRODUCT. They're going wild over the DEAL!
Think of it as Black Friday, only in France.
Nutella is okay to me. I don't understand the popularity of the various forms of hazelnut-chocolate spread in Europe (there are several) when they have staight up, unadulterated chocolate spread there. It comes in milk and dark, and it's delicious. I used to make peanut butter and chocolate sandwiches. That was with Dutch peanut butter, too, which has a different texture and is less sweet than American peanut butter. I actually like the Dutch stuff better.
@CB: The deal isn't worth punching another person over. If I can't even understand punching another person of a flat screen TV deal, I darn sure can't understand doing it for a processed spread. It's not like there isn't a recipe for making your own on the internet. Heck, it's not that expensive full priced in France. And the excuse that was giving was that parents insisted they had to get it for their kids.
True, @Geist, but we're not talking about normal people. We're talking about deal-crazy shoppers.
... Ooh, that would be a good scenario for a board game!
Deathsprint: Shopping!
The game wherein you have to get everything on your list before time rums out. The challenge is that other people need some of the same things as you, and supplies are limited. If you fail to get EVERYTHING on your list, something bad happens (loved one/pet dies, hospital blows up, superflu is released, player character dies, etc.). All any player knows is what items they need, and what will happen if they don't get it all. Pick up upgrades along the way so you can be sure to be the first to get eberything on your list and get out of the store!
@LZ: That is a KS campaign I would back
LZ, that sounds amazing! I haven't seen chocolate spread here (nor peanut butter, though I'd expect that less), though I haven't really been looking, but I may have to make that sandwich. It seems so simple and perfect, yet something I'd never even thought of!
`
Also, I'd love to get milk or something, but I don't have a fridge, so I'd have like 30 minutes to drink it all. But all this chocolate is so lonely!
Also, that would be a great and hilarious RPG scenario! All sorts of obstacles come up, but you have to deal with them in true D&D fashion!
Morning kittens
Good morning kittens, @LZ, can I get a Print and Play of that game?
Morning kittens.
@LZ, that sounds like and awesome game! I could see the players represented by shopping carts of death! I see the game as a fast brutal game, 4 player, one 12 x 12 tile, a layout of a shopping area, grocery store, kids toy store etc. each tile being a different store, possibly with an ability to add them together to make a mall? The board would have a card that would allow you a random set up of stuff you'd kill to have... and each player would have a draw pile giving them their objectives. You'd have to have enough cards to represent all the items, but you'd also have the overlap so that people were trying to get the same stuff. Also in the pile would be stuff that would help the player, and hinder other players. Stuff like, banana peel, empty package, misplaced item (would allow you to turn any other item into one you are looking for). That would be a super fun, competitive, yet ridiculous game!
I'm guessing there's enough talent in this group to actually design and develop this game!
@BaKhan, are you thinking of a board that actually has 144 tiles on it? (12 x 12) Or is one tile 12 x 12 (inches, cm, mm?)
Forgot to mention, we also would have a good pool of playtesters.
@LZ: is it EU friendly? With sleeves?
@CB, I was thinking inches. So a foot by a foot, with one inch squares. Something that wouldn't have to take up a lot of table space. And would also allow for multiple tiles to be put together to have a bigger game. A timer could also be used to drive the action. A 30 second timer, passed as soon as its empty to the next player, if you haven't performed your actions in 30 secs, you lose you turn? Something like that, to keep that pressure up!
@Geist, definitely not on both counts! Screw 'em! ;) Although, scratch 'n' sniff is still on the table... ;)
Oh, OK. I was thinking of something more like TEZ, where the tiles ARE the stores. That would give you some flexibility in arranging how the stores are laid out.
One of the things to buy definitely has to be fruitcake!
@CB, hmmm I must be explaining myself wrong. Yes, each store would be one tile. Each tile would have a 12 x 12 grid on it, of one inch squares. There would be aisles and other obsticles already on the board, and locations to put the different items. The placement of the items to be determined by a deck of cards with locations vs items on it. Each character would then either have their own draw pile, or pull from a common pool which would have the items that they need to get, and benefit/obstruction cards. The items would need a cap of some kind, ie: you need three to win, or they could be worth points and you need x points to win. Something along those lines. Just off the top of my head...
OMG! The fruitcake could also be used as a shield! It would be destroyed but save you from an attack?
Wow, it wouldn't take many stores to max out the gaming table! Sounds like you're leaning toward a single store scenario, with aisles and departments.
It would take three or four sheets of paper just to lay out a single tile in Print and Play, since most printers are constrained to Letter size or A4. Probably could do 4 6x6 tiles and then paste them together to get the entire 12x12 store tile.
Stretch goals:
At $10,000, better weapons
At $20,000 little shopping carts with wheels that work
At $30,000 more prizes to fight over like a 90 inch, 4D TV
Morning kittens.
So...who's making this game so I can back it?
Nobody's making it yet. LZ came up with the original idea and we've been playing around with the idea ever since. Currently, I'm looking for some software that will allow me to lay out a 12x12 grid and then overlay it with graphics.
@CB, could you get a free copy of Microsoft Visio, or a trial? Thats what I use at work and I think it works pretty well as you can import almost any kind of picture into it.
@GM, we should all make it! It could be a Kitten Corps game! We'd all get rich like Elan and co. It'll be awesome! ;)
@BaKhan, does Visio run on a Mac? That's what I'm designing on.
@CB, I'm not sure, I think if you could emuluate a pc, then you could, but it is a windows program... I could however make a pdf of a 12 x 12 grid and email it to you though, if that helped?
Things to "shop" for: Fruitcake, Choco-nut spread, lettuce field children, 90" 4d tv, ... what else are crazy people fighting over? ;)
@BaKhan: Anything and everything is what they are fighting over.
Thanks @BaKhan, but I'm leaning towards Photoshop. I can create a layer with just the grid and then use it to position graphics over the top. My goal is to eventually create a PDF, but not necessarily to start with one. If you have a grid in PNG format, that would be a start, but I can probably whip one up just as easily.
@BaKhan: Whatever new home game system is currently popular as well as that cool new game to play it with. Sneakers. Tickle me Oscar (or some other hot toy). UGG boots.
@CB, I don't at this time, so yeah, I'm sure your could whip one up pretty quickly. I've never used photoshop before, but it does seem like the best one to use for pretty much anything graphic wise. If there is anything I can do to help, just let me know. I'll punt away myself and see what I can come up as well, as time allows anyways... ;)
@Geist, yeah thats what I'm talking about! Just have to give them some slightly different names and boom! I'm thinking having 10 or so items, so that theres variety, but still over lap.
@BaKhan: Don't forget the high price fancy booze like Cristal. Or high status shoes like Jimmy Choos.
I was also thinking of having little shopping carts of death be the game pieces!
As for the gaming console, call it the GameKastr 4k. Then there's the handheld console, it's the GameKastr 4kP. Because, it's not a serious product if the name makes sense and is spelled correctly...
Grocery item: Chocolate Sugar Blasts
Also, I was thinking more modular than 12"x12", like 4"x4". I don't know how well that would work, though.
Alternative title could be Blackest Friday
Good news everybody! We now have a store tile! It's completely empty except for the grey linoleum floor, but it's about ready for us to put things like shelves, cash registers, etc in there!
If we go with the 4x4 idea, we can fit nine of them in there. If we go with 6x6, we can fit four of them in there.
Of course, we can also go full-custom, with each of the 144 tiles containing something unique.
We can control how traffic flows through the store by the way we arrange the shelves, tables, walls, etc. A shopper can't go through a shelf, for instance. They would have to use the aisles that we define in the layout.
I see pros and cons to having modular tiles. My thoughts were, that for a "normal" game, it would be fast, 30 mins or so, and for a longer more challenging game, putting 3+ together and go from there. I thought it would be cool to have a quick, one shot, and a longer 1.5 hour game, all in one package. That way, if you only had time for a quick play, you could still choose this as an option.
Do we want to put in a bathroom? One of the cards could say, "Don't pick up any more items until after you've visited the bathroom."
Yeah, that could be cool, maybe a customer service as well, for the same purpose? Maybe a rule where you have to leave your items outside while you're in the bathroom, and other players can get a chance to raid your cart?
Good point, BaKhan. I like the idea of having a restroom. How many actions per turn? I was figuring one move action would be moving up to three squares on the grid (since everyone will be running most of the time). Other actions would include such things as picking an item off the shelf (two for heavy items), attacking an opponent, taking an item out of an opponent's cart (must attack first), and others that I haven't thought of yet.
BaKhan, stop thinking my thoughts! Wait, no, keep it up, that shows we've got a good thing going here. At least I think it does...
@LZ, I was thinking a D6 worth of actions maybe? One action to move one tile, one action to pick something up, one action to draw a card, one action to play a card?
BTW, my good point comment was in reference to having the 12x12 tile so that you can have a quick game and add others for a longer game.
@LZ, lol, you know we'd have such a good time hanging out right? ;) I totally think that we (collective here) could easily bang this one out! Hell, we're over halfway there already!
I think giving everyone a set number of actions at the beginning would be more balanced, particularly since I was thinking each wound would take an action from the player receiving it. You can restore all actions by doing nothing in a turn, but your cart is vulnerable until your next turn.
@LZ, okay, so would there be variation between characters then? Perhaps, a senior citizen with a motorized cart, could move further for an action point, but costs more to pick an item up? Something like that?
Variation in characters can get sticky. You'd want to make sure everyone's strengths were balanced out by their weaknesses. I'm also not sure if my idea of losing actions is the best or only way to keep track of wounds. I'm just spitballing here. I think different weapons ought to have different effects. So, what kind of weapons do we want, with effects, and then the other side is armor and its effects?
@CB: How about certain obstacles like the free sample lady that will hold you up for a turn or two?
@Geist, I like that. I think drawing a card at the beginning of your turn should be mandatory. The card will either be something to help you (weapon, armor, extra action, decoy, etc.) or an obstacle (sample lady, restroom, empty package, etc.). Additional cards can be drawn at the cost of one action each.
@Geist, we could do free samples. The store layout is really flexible right now. We'll need to decide how far someone can move during a turn. One grid square seems like a good starting point. We could add accelerators, like roller skates to allow moving more than one square per turn. Then again, a 12x12 grid would require a minimum 144 moves to canvass the entire store,
On further reflection, we could make the Free Sample Lady a moveable element, represented by a token on the board. It would be really funny if she could "hunt you down" and make you try a sample.
Man...the things I miss out on when work actually ends up being busy(and when the computer decides that 1pm is the PERFECT time to restart for updates)
the Free Sample Lady a moveable element, represented by a token on the board. It would be really funny if she could "hunt you down" and make you try a sample.
That would be the perfume lady. Hunting you down and spraying you with some cheap scent that makes you gag. Lose a turn if she catches up with you.
Here's a (very rough) layout just to give everyone an idea of what can be done. It has lots of shelves, a bathroom, bargain tables, a cosmetics counter, impulse racks, and two cashiers (one of which is hardly ever staffed)
http://www.kittencorps.com/images/Store.png
@CB, that looks good so far
Wow, I get dragged away all afternoon and evening (just as you guys are getting on in America) and get back at 10:30, find I've missed an entire full page of chat here!
Wow, it's great to see this place so full again, but... yeah, I don't think I have the time right now to look through all of that!
Hahaha! Man, I really wish I hadn't had to miss today!
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Blackest Friday is a great name! And I love all the different ideas, especially the sample lady hunting you down! Haha, this game would be awesome!
Maybe if this ever goes anywhere, we could pass the idea on to the EK team for help figuring out if it'd even be possible to actually make it! Of course it'd have to be released on a Black Friday, though.
Or Cyber Monday, just for the irony!
Morning kittens. Damn, it's cold outside. I really want to go back and be under my electric blanket. The office has been kinda cold the last couple of days.
Good morning shoppers ... er, kittens.
It'd be cool if one of the items you could buy was a kitten.