Alternity News

Wanna play a game?

Kzinwarrior — 2009-07-03

Let's play a game. I will post a picture and a one word question (who, what, where, et cetera).

The first person to post the correct answer will do the same, but only after I have confirmed the answer and handed over the torch.

To keep this game in the spirit of this site, the subject of the question must be related to one or more of the following:

1. Roleplaying games.
2. Science (should be a few items to choose from, eh?).
3. Technology.
4. Fiction (again, lots to choose from here).

Please keep in mind that many images on the net are COPYRIGHT. Don't link to, or copy images that specifically say not to. Its usually an artist who feeds his kids by selling artwork. This is just for our amusement, let's not step on any toes, OK?

I shall begin with my next post...

K.

Alternity Motivational Posters

Priest — 2006-09-07

Having a little fun
After parusing posters generated by the gang over at rpg.net [Link Bjorked], I figured it might be fun to do some for Alternity.

Space Map Generator

Lialos — 2010-03-16

Hey guys, my Star*Drive campaign is about to reach a point where my guys are going to push out of the Verge towards, yes, the Lightning Nebula and beyond, taking the fight to the enemy and all that.

Anyone know of a good tool for cranking out a sector of space? Don't need all the systems generated, although that would be great too, but something that would say, let me establish a size of space, a relative density of systems, and then have it fill them in. Something like that?

Thanks all.

The Great Giggler

Kzinwarrior — 2005-09-19

Turn that frown upside-down!
Sometimes life just sucks. All you can do is get over it and move on. I've found a little humor can help during this transition.

And as far as I know, we don't have a joke thread. So, if it's all right with management I'd like to start one and invite others to join in.

Keep them clean if you can (we have juniors here) and non-racial please.

I shall begin...

Retirement Plan:

If you had bought $1,000.00 of Nortel stock one year ago, it would now be worth $49.00. With Enron, you would have $16.50 of the original $1,000.00. With
Worldcom, you would have less than $5.00 left.

If you had bought $1,000.00 worth of Budweiser (the beer, not the stock) one year ago, drunk all the beer then turned in the cans for the 10-cent deposit, you
would have $214.00.

Based on the above, my current investment advice is to drink heavily and recycle. This is a new retirement program, I call it the 401Keg.

-------------------

An oldie, but still good...

A US Navy ship is sailing at night and the crew sees a light on a reciprocal course in the distance.

The captain on the bridge tries to radio the other ship to no avail, so he orders the crew to signal it by flashing lights. After some time, they get a response.

The captain sends.....this is a US Navy ship, request you alter your course to the right.

The other vessel responds...you alter your course to the right.

The Captain, now kind of irritated sends......I am a US Navy WARSHIP, alter your course to the right now.

The other vessel responds ...you alter your course to the right.

The Captain, now thoroghly irritated sends......I am a US Navy Aircraft Carrier, conducting flight operations, alter your course to the right NOW.

The other vessel reponds......I am a light house, you choose.

-------------------

Supposedly, something similar to this actually happened...

My Aunt died this past January. Citi Bank billed her for February and March for their monthly service charge on her credit card, and then added late fees and interest on the monthly charge...the balance had been $0.00... now was somewhere around $60.00)

I placed the following phone call to CitiBank:

Me: "I am calling to tell you that she died in January."

CitiBank: "The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply."

Me: "Maybe, you should turn it over to collections..."

CitiBank: "Since it is 2 months past due, it already has been."

Me: "So, what will they do when they find out she is dead?"

CitiBank: "Either report her account to the frauds division, or report her to the credit bureau...maybe both!"

Me: "Do you think God will be mad at her?"

CitiBank: "...excuse me .?"

Me: "Did you just get what I was telling you.... the part about her being dead?"

CitiBank: "Sir, you'll have to speak to my supervisor!"

(Supervisor gets on the phone)

Me: ''I'm calling to tell you, she died in January."

CitiBank: "The account was never closed and the late fees and charges still apply."

Me: "You mean you want to collect from her estate?"

CitiBank: ".....(stammer)" .... "Are you her lawyer?"

Me: "No, I'm her great nephew." (Lawyer info given...)

CitiBank: "Could you fax us a certificate of death?"

Me: "Sure." ( Fax number is given )

( After they get the fax. )

CitiBank: "Our system just isn't setup for death..."

Me: "Oh..."

CitiBank: "I don't know what more I can do to help..."

Me: "Well... if you figure it out, great! If not, you could just keep billing her...I suppose...don't really think she will care...."

CitiBank: "Well...the late fees and charges do still apply."

Me: "'Would you like her new billing address?"

CitiBank: "That might help."

Me: " ( Odessa Memorial Cemetery #### Hwy 129 and plot number given. )

CitiBank: "Sir, that's a cemetery!"

Me: "What do you do with dead people on your planet?!!"

--------------------------

Anyone else wanna play?

Kzin.

Vociferous Ranting

Guardian — 2009-09-30

We used to have a thread for this stuff, but I haven't been able to find it. And I need to let off some steam.

First up on my hit list is the idiot who decided that the natural gas lines into the high school should be unsecured, without so much as a picket fence.

Second on the list is the jerk who tried to use a couple pipebombs on the gas line this morning. Luckily he couldn't make a working fuse. Even better, he left his prints everywhere, because he was too stupid to wear gloves.

Ooooh, where to go next. The City Commission for overturning the law requiring you to be 21 to buy eggs on Homecoming week? The jackasses who celebrated by purchasing a couple gross of ovoid grenades on the way to vandalizing every car at the Commission meeting. The whiney SOBs who decided to protest the upcoming smoking ban in bars and restaurant by throwing rocks through the windows at the library--into the children's section.

Need I go on?

Which scifi shows do you watch?

ja — 2010-03-11

..and why?

political news and commentary

Guardian — 2005-11-11

news from me, comments by you
I could be putting up information on the imminent election of Andrea Merkel as the first woman Chancellor in German history, but I doubt anyone really cares about the economic minutia that got her the job.

I could incite a post riot about the riots in France, but since the least inflamatory of the readable articles starts by addressing immigrants as "serfs" and goes from there, I decided not.

Here's a link to some good news on the American political front.

New mayor wins by 2

Now you realize they only had about 16% of the population vote?

Guardian

If you want Blackmoor books

Guardian — 2010-03-17

Get thee to Noble Knight. They snapped up most of the remaining inventory, and are even offering sets of seven books, including Blackmoor 3.5 and 4E core.

If you want 'em, better go get 'em.

((shilling because Aaron has been nothing but awesome))

Fly Around Candor Chasma

Starbrat — 2010-03-14

Candor Chasma is one of the two great valleys of the Valles Marineris. Thanks to the HiRise camera aboard Mars Reconnaisance Orbiter, we can have fun flying through it while we wait for human exporers to do it for real.

Fly me to the Moon, and let- oh, sorry, Mars, then.

Kzinwarrior Rising

Kzinwarrior — 2010-03-11

Cry havoc and let slip the cats of war!!
I stand alone on the blood-soaked field, exhausted beyond measure and bleeding from deep wounds. My army is destroyed, my allies all dead or dying. My armor is shattered, my strength is gone and I have nothing left save the last drop of will to see this long, bloody war to its inevitable conclusion.

That wretched beast, the Dragon of Despair, my nemesis for two-thousand days and nights, lies broken and dying at my feet. I reach deep into my soul and puke out all seven years of pain and sorrow this fucking demon has poured into me. My eyes shine like a madman, my breath rasps on the cold air, my muscles burn pure acid and I scream in agony and rage as I raise my sword for the last time.

With sword poised to strike the final blow and end the war forever, I lower my head to gaze into the eyes of the sadistic monster that has tormented me for so long. Fear. I see fear in its eyes. Our roles are reversed, I am the one who holds the power of life and death while it lays helpless and cringing. Strangely, I am struck by a feeling of pity for this pathetic creature laying before me, its eyes darting left and right searching for escape. I remember that feeling....

Then the noxious venom I expelled from my soul floods through my brain and I remember every single moment of pain and suffering it unleashed on me, my family and my friends. Any and all hope the creature had of surviving this day is vaporized in a paroxysmal detonation of searing hatred and unrestrained rage. The sword descends like a spear thrown from the heavens, piercing through the dragon's horned head with staggering force. The sword buries itself deep into the earth, binding the Dragon of Despair forever, to the site of its final defeat.

The enemy has been slain, the last battle has been won and the war is finally over. The Great Dragon of Despair is dead. Long live Kzinwarrior!!

So, what's next on my to-do list?

K.

Earthquake in Chile

Guardian — 2010-02-28

Massive quake hits Chile, triggers tsunami
At least 214 dead; big waves splash ashore in Pacific countries

NBC, msnbc.com and news services
updated 8:41 p.m. CT, Sat., Feb. 27, 2010
SANTIAGO, Chile - One of the largest earthquakes ever recorded tore apart houses, bridges and highways in central Chile on Saturday and sent a tsunami racing halfway around the world.

Chileans near the epicenter of the massive 8.8-magnitude quake were tossed about as if shaken by a giant, and the head of the emergency agency said authorities believed at least 300 people were dead.

Newly built apartment buildings slumped and fell. Flames devoured a prison. Millions of people fled into streets darkened by the failure of power lines. The collapse of bridges tossed and crushed cars and trucks.

"It came in waves and lasted so long. Three minutes is an eternity. We kept worrying that it was getting stronger, like a terrifying Hollywood movie," said Santiago resident Dolores Cuevas.

"Unfortunately, Chile is a country of catastrophes," President-elect Sebastian Pinera said, adding the quake heavily damaged many of the country's roads, airports and ports.

President Michelle Bachelet declared a "state of catastrophe" in central Chile. Officials said about 1.5 million homes were damaged across the Andean nation.

Hours after the quake, smaller-than-expected tsunami waves hit Hawaii and the U.S. Pacific Coast. There were no immediate reports of damage and a tsunami warning for Hawaii was soon lifted.

Japan issued a warning on Sunday for a tsunami of 10 feet or higher and warned coastal residents to evacuate to higher ground.

At least 214 people were killed and 15 were missing as of Saturday evening, Bachelet said in a national address on television. While that remained the official estimate, Carmen Fernandez, head of the National Emergency Agency, said later: "We think the real figure tops 300. And we believe this will continue to grow."

Bachelet also said 1.5 million people had been affected by the quake, and officials in her administration said 500,000 homes were severely damaged.

Dozens of aftershocks
Local radio reported 100 people were missing in a collapsed building in hard-hit Concepcion, one of Chile's largest cities with around 670,000 inhabitants. Firefighters rushed to put out fires, and most of the buildings in the city center were destroyed.

At least five people were killed by huge earthquake-triggered waves that smashed into Chile's Robinson Crusoe Island, named for the fictional, stranded sailor.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake struck 56 miles northeast of the city of Concepcion at a depth of 22 miles at 3:34 a.m. (1:34 a.m. ET). The quake shook buildings in Argentina's capital of Buenos Aires, and was felt as far away as Sao Paulo in Brazil -- 1,800 miles to the east.

More than 60 aftershocks of magnitude 5 or greater were reported in the hours after the quake.

An earthquake also hit northern Argentina, causing a wall to collapse in Salta, killing an 8-year-old boy and injuring two of his friends, police said. The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude-6.3 temblor was a separate, "triggered earthquake" caused by ground waves from the Chilean quake.

Blazing buildings
A 15-story building collapsed in Concepcion, where buildings caught fire, bridges collapsed and cracks opened up in the streets. Concepcion's city hall also collapsed, according to radio reports.

"I was on the eighth floor and all of a sudden I was down here," said Fernando Abarzua, marveling that he escaped with no major injuries. He said a relative was still trapped in the rubble six hours after the quake, "but he keeps shouting, saying he's OK."

Upside-down cars lay scattered on a damaged highway bridge. Some residents looted pharmacies and a collapsed grain silo, hauling off bags of wheat, television images showed.

More than 200 inmates in a prison near Concepcion escaped when walls crumbled, Terra Networks reported.

In the town of Talca, 65 miles from the epicenter, people were jostled from bed as their belongings cascaded around them from the shuddering walls.

A journalist emerging into the darkened street scattered with downed power lines saw a man, some of his own bones apparently broken, weeping and caressing the hand of a woman who had died in the collapse of a cafe. Two other victims lay dead a few feet away.

In the capital of Santiago, 200 miles northeast of the epicenter, a car dangled from a collapsed overpass, the national Fine Arts Museum was badly damaged and an apartment building's two-story parking lot pancaked, smashing about 50 cars whose alarms rang incessantly.

"I saw how the cars fell off and I didn't know what to do. I was alone here," said Mario Riveros, a security guard at a factory in Santiago, as he stood next to a bridge that had fallen, according to La Segunda newspaper. " I felt like crying."

Three hospitals in Santiago collapsed, and a dozen more south of the capital also suffered significant damage, a health official said.

Tsunami warnings
The jolt set off a tsunami that raced across the Pacific, setting off alarm sirens in Hawaii, Polynesia and Tonga. Tahitian officials banned all traffic on roads less than 1,600 feet from the sea and people in several low-lying island nations were urged to find higher ground.

Tidal surges of up to 7 feet hit some Hawaiian islands Saturday afternoon but there were no reports of damage or injuries. In southern California, a tidal surge swept away most of the navigational buoys in Ventura's harbor but no boats sank, officials reported.

Tsunami waves were also likely to hit Asian, Australian and New Zealand shores within 24 hours of the quake.

On the island of Robinson Crusoe, a huge tsunami wave flooded the village of San Juan Batista, killing at least five people and leaving 11 missing, said Guillermo de la Masa, head of the government emergency bureau for the Valparaiso region. He said the huge waves also damaged several government buildings on the island.

Pedro Forteza, a pilot who frequently flies to the island, said, "The village was destroyed by the waves, including the historic cemetery. I would say that 20 or 30 percent has disappeared."

Bachelet said residents were evacuated from coastal areas of Chile's remote Easter Island, a popular tourist destination in the Pacific famous for its towering stone statues.

In the mainland coastal town of Vichato, in the BioBio region, waves flooded hundreds of houses. Tsunami waves also swept into the port town of Talcahuano, causing serious damage to port facilities and lifting fishing boats out of the water, local television reported.

ADN Radio reported many beach towns were wiped out, including Matanzas, a wind- and kite-surfing destination that attracts many foreigners.

It's summer in South America and hundreds of thousands of people were vacationing at the beaches or starting to pack up to get back to work or school next week.

'Houses were really shaking'
Santiago's international airport was closed as the quake destroyed passenger walkways and shook glass out of doors and windows.

Simon Shalders, who lives in Santiago, told Sky News: "There was a lot of movement. The houses were really shaking, walls were moving backwards and forwards, and doors were swinging open.

"Santiago has got a history of earthquakes and basically there's not a lot of old construction in Santiago because of these earthquakes.

"The new buildings in Santiago are designed to withstand fairly strong quakes and they probably held up pretty well."

Sylvia Dostal of Keizer, Ore., said she was on the 23rd floor of the Marriott Hotel on President Kennedy Avenue in Santiago when the quake struck. "I had been in earthquakes before, including the San Francisco Loma Prieta quake, but this was different. The building was swaying AND moving up and down!" she wrote to msnbc.com.

"We made our way to the emergency stairs, since elevators were out of the question. There were children, babies and parents all in bathrobes and nightwear gathering outside the building," she wrote.

There were blackouts in parts of Santiago and communications were still down in the area closest to the epicenter.

Santiago resident Leo Perioto told CNN that "windows were wobbling a lot" in his six-story building.

"The whole building was shaking," he added. "We could feel the walls moving from side to side."

Early Olympics homecoming
A Chilean skier decided to participate in Sunday's closing ceremonies at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Canada, upon learning her family and friends escaped injury in the massive earthquake that struck her homeland.

Noelle Barahona had planned on returning home Saturday, but she could not get a flight. Instead, she will remain in the athlete's village in Vancouver, team spokesman Luis Alberto Santa Cruz said.

Chile brought three alpine skiers to the games. Two had already left Vancouver.

Scientists say the quake was a "megathrust" -- similar to the 2004 Indian Ocean temblor that spawned a catastrophic tsunami.

Megathrust earthquakes occur in subduction zones where plates of the Earth's crust grind and dive. Saturday's jolt occurred when the Nazca plate dove beneath the South American plate, releasing tremendous energy.

An earthquake of magnitude 8 or over can cause "tremendous damage," according to the USGS said. The quake that devastated Port-au-Prince on Jan. 12 was rated magnitude 7.

In 1960, Chile was hit by the world's biggest earthquake since records dating back to 1900. The 9.5-magnitude quake devastated the south-central city of Valdivia, killing more than 1,600 people and sending a tsunami that battered Easter Island 2,300 miles off Chile's Pacific coast and continued as far as Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines.

Antarctic Glacier Has Five-story Blood-red Waterfa

JSM3050 — 2010-03-06

Here's One for you, Mr. Holland :)
Antarctic Glacier Has Five-story Blood-red Waterfa

Newbie Thread

ja — 2006-09-22

introduce yourself
Stack 'em all in one place
Since as of late we have seen a lot of new people join up and said hi! through various topics, just thought that we could use a thread where new members can introduce themselves and such.

Old timers, be nice and polite and we can sacrifice the to dark gods later

ohmygod!ohmygod!ohmygod!

ja — 2010-03-09

I have photoshop cs4 now!!!
And its awesome!!!

Attack Vector: Tactical

someone_else — 2010-03-06

how is it?
In my Grid roamings to find a hard-ish space ships battle game I found Attack Vector: Tactical by Ad Astra games.
the Atomic Rockets guy mentions it as both cool and realistic (while remaining playable)

But I wanted to ask your opinion on it too, just in case you have it and played it.
First hand info is always better.

So, how is it? Is it worth the price or is it crap like d20?

Moving Far Afield

VonWalther — 2010-02-21

Some time during the summer.
Well my wife is in her last semester at Seminary and we found out this week were her first assignment will be . . .
Region One of the ELCA, or in other words the Northwest (Alaska, Montana, Wyoming Idaho, Washington, or Oregon). Later this week or next we fidn out what state she will be assigned to.

This is a big move for me, but because my current job contract contract is ending this year, at least I don't have that tying my down. Not sure I taking this the best that I can, having to move away form every one and thing I know, but then again this could be a big adventure.

Alternity stories

ja — 2010-03-04

just for fun...
The idea is to create a collective made story.
The rules:
You must write at least three sentences per post.
The post should contain some kind of reference to Alternity stuff and fluff.
You can't post in in succession.
If you bring story to conclusion you must start a new one.

I'll start:

Jack Everstar woke up with searing headache in his head. His vision was blurry and he couldn't remember why he was soaked wet sitting in the bathtub. Normally, it was natural consequence of his life as a celebrity, but this didn't explain why was he holding a mass pistol in his hand.

A Little Boasting

Guardian — 2009-01-10

A little crowing is in order. Don Meyer, coach of our local Uni's BB team, is now the winningest coach in NCAA history at 903. He beats out the previous incumbent, Bobby Knight (yes, the chair throwing tantrum king himself) in five fewer seasons, with a better win/loss ratio, while being a better (or at least nicer) person.

Oh, and surviving a major car accident and fighting cancer.

I herewith award an AP to all my players in general celebration--further notes will be made in the games themselves.

http://msn.foxsports.com/cbk/story/9061934...HPHCP>1=39002

Alternity Game Day - March 3rd

Spicer — 2005-07-17

Annual event to foster Alternity gaming.
Alternity Game Day!

This posting is to announce a new community project effort to define an annual event that will encourage active Alternity gaming worldwide. After holding a discussion in last week's chat session, a group of like-minded Alternity fans agreed to support such an event and now we want your help. But first, let's answer a few questions...

Why an Alternity Game Day?
There's already an annual event known as Game Day that's held every year on March 4th. That particular date was chosen because it implies "march forth"...as in heroes "marching forth" for an adventure. The annual Game Day event encourages active roleplaying in all RPGs, regardless of system or campaign setting, and it's meant to further the hobby gaming industry by bringing together people all across the world...many meeting in their local gaming groups, some playing online, and some organizing large gatherings at universities, etc. The concept of an Alternity Game Day falls along the same lines, only it's specific to a single system...i.e., Alternity. We're proposing that a separate event would help to call more attention to the game we all love.

When would it happen?
Oddly enough, we've chosen March 3rd...the day before the regular Game Day event...for two reasons. One, it serves as a nice lead-in for "March Forth" in the event that gamers would like to extend their roleplaying across a couple of days and slip in a little Alternity ahead of March 4th...which should serve to widen their gaming experience beyond D20 or other systems that may be crowding out exposure to alternatives like Alternity. Secondly, March 3rd is the official date that Wizards of the Coast announced to the Alternity mailing list that the company would be discontinuing the product line and dropping active support for Alternity. Placing the event on March 3rd should therefore give pause to every fan of Alternity so they can recommit themselves to preserving and carrying on Alternity despite their decision.

What would it involve?
The event itself will involve many things. With March 3rd as a placeholder on your calendar, everyone can set aside that day to get involved in a number of special events. A.net can host a special chat session online, complete with new Alternity discussion topics, special guests, and new resources designed by those in the active Alternity community. GMs can make plans to conduct a game of Alternity in their local area, continue an ongoing campaign online, or otherwise prepare a one-shot introductory game for new players who might be drawn to the chat event. Players, of course, can just make plans to be there for these gaming opportunities and take advantage of them.

Preparing for the event will take a lot of planning, organizing, and advertising. The general idea will involve using the time between now and March 3rd to work on something new for Alternity. A new adventure. A new resource. A new discussion topic or rules option. Anything really, as long as it involves actively supporting Alternity with your creativity and passion. Meanwhile, advertising for the event can be done on a series of websites (A.net, TS.net, RPG.net, ENWorld.org, and other D20 message boards) in the hopes of drawing in more players. A few of the A.net regulars will also be going to GenCon this year. We plan to meet up, discuss this idea and also advertise to those we run into at the convention. There's been a small resurgence of interest and nostalgia for Alternity...or alternative game systems to D20...of late. Hopefully, this event might help to take advantage of that interest with a chance for gamers to broaden their RPG experience.

Who's invited to participate?
Anyone. Everyone. Those who have never played Alternity but have an interest in trying something new. Those who have always played Alternity and have an interest in supporting something they've enjoyed for years. It doesn't matter what campaign setting you favor. As long as you're interested in Alternity, you're in...

What can I do to help?
Start advertising the idea to everyone you know that's ever played Alternity, expressed an interest in Alternity, or might be open to the idea of trying a new game. Create a buzz for the event. Plan to host your own game. Design a new resource for Alternity that others will find interesting. Put the date on your calendar and show up for the actual chat event hosted by A.net on March 3rd. Most of all, get involved. Make it your mission to not only continue visiting A.net (whether as a lurker or an active participant), but to actually encourage others to do the same.

For now, I'm starting this thread in the hopes that others will come here, support the event, post their ideas for making it successful, and commit to getting involved with it. So, if you're interested in turning up the volume for Alternity, sound off!

Ready with a whole bag of change,
--Neil

[OT] Who else uses a notebook?

derek_holland — 2010-02-23

As Shawn alluded to in another thread, I keep a notebook on hand most of the time to jot down the random ideas I get. I have only done it 2 years or so and have already filled 2 2/3rds notebooks. I wonder how many more posts I would have if I started doing this before I joined A.net.

Anyone else do this?