Adventures in the Cave of Wonders!

Friday, I took the Geeklet to see the new Aladdin film, expecting it to be passable. But WHOA was I wrong--it's awesome! Disney did a great job updating their own material--and letting Will Smith take the Genie in a new direction that fit his style (since Robin Williams is basically irreplaceable). But the real boon came the next day. After a full afternoon of yard work for the whole family--Grandma included (my mom)--kiddo wanted to "play Dungeons and Dragons!"

I'd hoped that she might get that idea, and earlier in the day I made a quick trip to my FLGS to have a look at their used minis rack. I found a blue genie that I knew would be PERFECT for an Aladdin-themed game.

Let's make it a party!
But by far the BEST part was that the kid convinced my 75 y.o. mother to play. Now, my mom is the one who gave me my first boxed sets of D&D when I was a kid (I think I was 9? Maybe?). But she's NEVER played. And any time I begged her to try (hey, there were never kids around who wanted to play) she was steadfast in her refusals.

But she and the Geeklet have been playing pretend every weekend for years now. It's second-nature to them: making up super-powered princess characters and having all sorts of adventures. This is essentially that--with dice!

And I've talked about playing games with the kiddo before, but those were largely skirmish-focused. This was to be more in the way of an actual D&D game: off-the-cuff storytelling, exploring, combat and dice deciding our fates--but as light and easy as possible.

They had character sheets with stats and any time I needed them to make a 'to hit' I gave them a number to roll against. And if it was a save, I picked a stat for them to roll under. SUPER streamlined.

Arabian Fafrd and The Gray Mouser?
I thought a good 'ol dungeon crawl through the Cave of Wonders would work nicely. I wanted the story to be familiar to the Geeklet, so we began with their characters in the bazaar in Agrabah, the fabled kingdom from the film.

She played a brave fighter named Celia and my mom played a very skeptical thief named Hovy. [Sidenote: my mom, at 75, never having played ANY RPG came up with her character's name, backstory and general demeanor in less than 2 minutes???!!]

They found themselves duped into stealing food to feed starving peasants. It was a ruse by the evil sorcerer Jafar--he was testing their skills for a much bigger job: delving into the Cave of Wonders to seek out the magic lamp!

Picked up this colorful Wildlands map from Osprey. Kiddo and I played an adventure using the tower side last week.

After a brief incarceration they were carted off into the desert to the cavern, where they were tossed inside with some gear and weapons. Right away, I introduced the idea that the cave was filled with treasure that would tempt them (they passed their Wisdom saves). But dangled the notion that this would not be their first test in resisting something shiny to pocket.

If you remember the films--this is a big deal because anyone who takes anything other than the lamp will find themselves running for the exit while the cave collapses.

The crystal canyon/cavern side made for a nice Cave of Wonders to explore.

Soon after, they were ambushed by an armed band of skeletons--which gave them some trouble and a few bumps and bruises.

A tunnel of encroaching walls encrusted with sharp crystals made them dash into a room of complete darkness where a mummy was waiting! Regular combat wouldn't put this baddie down, but they did have a supply of torches, which came in handy for setting it ablaze.

As bedtime loomed closer, we came to a hall of golden mirrors. I cribbed heavily from Harry Potter on this one--they each saw in their reflection that they were holding something. This time I made them roll a Charisma check to test their vanity (it seemed like a nice swap since their Wisdom and Charisma scores were near opposites).

Celia the fighter passed and found herself holding the lamp! But Hovy the thief failed his save and was left holding...a giant jewel. And then the walls came crashing down!

They ran for the exit, making their way out along their path, but in reverse--having to avoid the same traps, plus a few new ones.

In the end, they woke Genie from his slumber and made their first wish: GET US OUT OF HERE!

Seriously, I don't think I've had this much fun making a game on the fly. And I think they had fun--at least, they said they did.

Here's hoping for more multi-generational RPGing. I mean... they still have 2 wishes left!

Google Plus is dying

And I am grieving. It's been the impetus for SO much inspiration and joy--having connected with many, many like-minded gamers, artists, scientists, writers, cartographers, musicians, video makers, journalists, and other kinds of fabulous nerds and geeks, over the last several years.

I feel like I'm losing a close relative. 

Soon Google will pull the plug completely. Until then, I'll be firing up the furnace here on the blog. (At least until the end comes for Blogger--whenever that is!)

You can find a complete list of where I'm at on Where Am I. 

I'll post a final, updated list of links when the end of G+ finally, inevitably arrives.

Bedtime Battles: Part Two

In my previous post, I mentioned that my daughter and I have been playing Star Wars or super hero themed skirmish games. These are very rules light, d20 roll-offs with (sometimes) a bit of story to them. But often they're just quick excuses to pick out cool minis and roll dice back and forth.

Earlier this evening however, I thought I'd try (or retry, to be accurate) running an actual mission with a goal. 

She played the heroes (Rebels) and I played the bad guys (Imperials). We kept the rules super streamlined, using a d20 for most things, and a d12 for special circumstances. 

Mission 1: Rebel Retreat!

My daughter chose five rebel-esque minis from my collection, including a stand-in for her favorite Star Wars character "Princa' Leia" and two well-known droids. I tossed a few Paizo Gamemastery map tiles down (Ambush Sites pack) with a bridge and told her it was her job to get the droids safely across a stone bridge over a fast-moving river. 

Imperials cut off the Rebels' only escape!

As the Imperial commander, it was my job to capture the droids before they got away aboard the Millennium Falcon on the other side of the bridge.

A giant, mini-chomping monster lurks behind our heroes!

I started with four Imperials on the board with three more in reserve. She started with all five of her characters. The droids didn't have weapons and had to be protected, so they essentially were non-combat characters.

Victory conditions: 

Rebels win by crossing the bridge to the Falcon. Imperials win by capturing the droids. Eliminating all your enemy's forces is an automatic win.

Here are the basic rules:

Activate 2 characters per round (d20)

Each player could move and fire (a single action) with two separate characters per turn. So two characters got to something for each team. The reason for this is simple--we were nearing bedtime so it kept things moving! 

Minis could only move 3 squares at a time. 

Weapon types determine your attacks

Any mini with a blaster could shoot from a distance. Minis with a weapon in hand had to be right next to their target to attack. A Jedi with a lightsaber could deflect blaster fire. 

To hit roll results and critical fails/successes

• 1 is a miss and player misses next turn 
• 2-9 is a miss
• 10+ is a hit
• 20 is a double hit (choose a second target to take out)

We never had either type of crit. In retrospect, having so few characters on the board would have been devastating to have 2 taken out with one hit. So maybe a 20 should be a hit and the attacker gets to move again (but not shoot). And maybe the 1 means you get to move but not shoot next turn (weapon malfunction, etc.). 

What happens when your character is hit?

They go to "jail" which is the other player's area on the board. Rebels are captured and can be rescued. Imperials are taken out and can be replaced with fresh recruits. (See below on both.)

Refresh your faction (d12)

Once per round, in place of an action, a player could rescue a captured comrade (Rebels roll 11+) or call for reinforcements (Imperials roll 8+. A refreshed character respawns back on their team's side of the board.

Using the Force (d12)

Any side with a Jedi or Sith (basically a character with a lightsaber) could use one of their two actions to use Force Push (8+) to take out an opponent. 

When attacked by blasterfire, a Jedi could immediately defend themselves by rolling a 4+ or higher. This was way too easy, so I'd suggest making it at least a 6 for future games. Alternatively, it'd be fun to use whatever the blaster bolt roll was as a roll under target. So the higher your opponent rolled to hit you (10 or higher), the better chance you have to defend!

How'd it go?

Victory dance!

She won! Handily, I might add. It's no small feat either as the game was weighted in favor of the Imperials since they had more combat-capable characters (just like in the movies!). Then again, I never chose a force-wielding character, so she got to use the Force powers (at least in the first game). 

Turned out having a Jedi was a boon, though I captured "Obee Kenobee" before the game ended. She had great rolls though and the Force was ultimately on her side.

Mission Two: Starship Takeover!

Whomever designed the innards of this vessel should be expelled from the Academy!

This was a pretty standard capture the flag mission, with each side starting out on separate sides of the "ship" (Paizo's Starship Corridors maps). Here, I was looking to see how well she could move around the board--esp. one that didn't have a straight forward layout, like the bridge. Results were mixed, owing to what I'll chalk up to a confusing layout and a increasingly weary toddler.

Moments before this stormie went airborne...

One new element with the corridors was the idea of line-of-sight when shooting. We've toyed with that before (quite literally--shooting around Star Wars toys as terrain) but this was a little harder to grasp because everything is on the map, so the corridor pathways were less discernible to her. There were no three-dimensional items to work with.

We also tossed in a new rule for movement. That if you had one character left on your side, you could move twice. Again, this sped things up, especially when you're hopping through long, convoluted corridors--and by the end of the game we both only had one character left.

She won again, but not nearly as easily. She opted not to use a Jedi and her forces were picked off over time. One of her three "Chewbaccas" was the sole survivor for quite a while. But she eventually wiped out the Imperial forces. Her last  hero made it fairly deep into Imperial territory as well--so she could have won that way too, had she not mopped up every guy on my squad!

Oh, and I couldn't resist another new rule for the Wookiee clan: If they were in an adjacent square, they could roll a d12 and have the chance to pick up an hurl a bad guy (11+). And of course, she rolled a 12...

That's my girl!

Bedtime Battles: Part One

My daughter (age 4 and 1/2) and I play with minis and dice quite frequently. We usually play "Star Wars" or "Super Heroes" which means hauling out the appropriate minis (about 10 per player), lining them up in teams, and moving them one at a time to "challenge" each other.

Sometimes we use terrain (Little People furniture, Imaginext or Star Wars spacecraft, etc.) but a lot of the time it's just figures. 

Essentially, we just roll off with d20s and the highest number wins--meaning the winner gets to put the opposing foe in "jail" (behind their figures). 

How to play...but also be a good player

This--I've learned--is an ideal way to teach a few basic concepts. Nearly as important as counting and learning numbers is the idea that some numbers are "higher" or "lower" than others. Last summer she was only just beginning to understand sums and how there are more or fewer amounts of objects. But the idea that more = higher took a little while longer to sink in.

Another important concept is the idea of fair play. From the very beginning of our gaming escapades, I told her that she will lose more games than she wins. While that might not be statistically true, I think it's important not to expect to win. And it's likewise essential that every game can be good--even if you don't win--because you still get to have fun!

I worked hard not to fudge dice rolls for her or let her off easy so she understood what that meant (and believe me, it wasn't easy! I want her to win!). It's more than just playing nice. To me, playing to have fun means you have respect for the other player(s) and respect for yourself enough not to take losing personally. 

I grew up with kids who would scream and cry--even as old as 13--if they felt like they were losing a game or being treated unfairly.

Plus, I want to play games too, and the sooner she gets this concept, the sooner we can get on with just having fun together! 

Anyway, we now have a solid track record of shaking after every finished skirmish, just like it were a Little League T-ball tourney: "Good game!"

Ready to use d20s!

She's grasped numbers up through 20 faster than I thought, so a few months ago we switched from using d12 for everything to d20. That's a pretty big step! It means we have a lot more latitude when it comes to probability and we can finally start building on some of those early sessions. 

We'll still play "story mode" without dice. And we'll do the opposite and ditch the plot and just have gladiatorial roll-offs. But tonight we worked on running through a simple scenario as it would be presented in a miniatures wargame or RPG that uses minis. 

It wasn't our first attempt at this, using maps, minis, and dice to get from point A to point B. But it's been, by FAR, our most successful. 

It's heartening to see her come around on some concepts and finally "get it" not just because she understands, but more for the fact that she WANTS to play the more challenging game. 

A mission-driven play session was a little daunting to her before. She'd say she was bored or didn't like it. But now, she's definitely pushing to stay up past her bedtime in order to get more game time in. 

As it turns out, Dad is a bit of pushover if you ask to play more Star Wars!

I kept this one light, but I'm working on a second post to cover the game we played using some simple, impromptu rules.

UPDATE: Read Part Two for play report of tonight's game and the rules we used.

TRAILER: The Last Jedi official trailer is here! And a new poster too!

Behold the latest poster for The Last Jedi. Let there be no question that this is still a Skywalker clan story!

And this now is THE trailer--not the teaser or a commercial! And it's squarely focused on Luke, Rey, Leia, and Kylo. Beware, there's mild spoilers.

This is the point of no return!

TRAILER: Pacific Rim Uprising first trailer is here!

• Official site 
• IMDB listing

THE APOCALYPSE COMES MARCH 2018!

TRAILER: Annihilation with Natalie Portman

Based on the first book in Jeff VanderMeer’s best-selling Southern Reach trilogy, Annihilation hits US theaters, February 23, 2018. I've not read the books (sshh! no spoilers!) but it appears as if they're in the sci-fi/horror camp.

Fellow RPG pal o' mine, John Till says they've got a lot in common (intentionally) with The Zones highlighted in the film Stalker.

If that weren't enough, the author's journey to publish the series all in one year sounds about as strange as the story itself!

Book synopsis from publisher, Farrar, Straus and Company:

Area X has been cut off from the rest of the continent for decades. Nature has reclaimed the last vestiges of human civilization. The first expedition returned with reports of a pristine, Edenic landscape; all the members of the second expedition committed suicide; the third expedition died in a hail of gunfire as its members turned on one another; the members of the eleventh expedition returned as shadows of their former selves, and within months of their return, all had died of aggressive cancer.

This is the twelfth expedition.

Their group is made up of four women: an anthropologist; a surveyor; a psychologist, the de facto leader; and our narrator, a biologist. Their mission is to map the terrain and collect specimens; to record all their observations, scientific and otherwise, of their surroundings and of one another; and, above all, to avoid being contaminated by Area X itself.

They arrive expecting the unexpected, and Area X delivers—they discover a massive topographic anomaly and life forms that surpass understanding—but it’s the surprises that came across the border with them, and the secrets the expedition members are keeping from one another, that change everything.

It remains to be seen what translates to the big screen, but that sounds positively fascinating Directed by Alex Garland (Ex Machina) Annihilation also stars Oscar Isaac, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and Gina Rodriguez.

• Official Facebook page
• IMDB listing

Announcing TABLETOP TESSERACT! A full day of sci-fi gaming!

Our little game event is growing up! We're proud to announce our first game festival! Tabletop Tesseract is a FULL DAY of sci-fi and space opera adventure! Join us at The Source on the second Saturday of October (Oct. 14) for 19 games (12 hours!) of outer space excitement.

Check out the full program schedule!

Tabletop Tesseract is a FREE event! 

We'll have games for kids, novice players, and veteran space marines. All materials will be provided--in many cases, than includes pre-generated characters so you can hop right into the game.

Feel free to bring your own dice if you like, but we'll have everything you need to get started.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14

We can't take reservations, but please let us know you're coming! Click the image below to RSVP:

Arrive early, stay late! 

Seating is first-come, first served. Plan to arrive before posted game time. Program schedule is subject to change. 

How I prep and run my games: RPG a Day revisited

Last month, I participated in the RPG A Day 2017 series of Q&A on Google Plus, and I thought I'd throw together a bit of the "best of" posts on GM process, etc. This here is a modified version of what I posted the for...

Day 27: What are your essential tools for good gaming?

A: I'll break these into two categories: game prep (as a GM, mostly) and at the table (as GM and as a player).

GAME PREP TOOLS

EVERNOTE for note taking
There are a lot of these types of programs out there but I like Evernote since it has the same support for both mobile and desktop. Mostly, I'll just hit the text icon, then the microphone and speak my idea directly into the phone. Then, I add tags/labels

If I get an idea from an article I just hit the SHARE button on my phone, choose Evernote and it saves the article. then I can go back and pin a few tags on it so I can quickly find it later -- and more importantly -- recall the context of why I saved it.

For example, if I find an article online that has a great character I could use for an NPC, I'll share to Evernote, tag it as "NPC" maybe even "Villain" and the [campaign] name. Later, when I begin the writing process, and I need to call up my notes for that campaign I'll easily find it when I click search one of those tags.

PINTEREST for image aggregation and selection
Pinterest allows me to create Boards by virtually pinning images or links. I've several private boards that I use to collect art and photos to help me sketch out the look of my games. It's a fantastic way to quickly visualize your worldbuilding.

I can search easily by keyword, artist name, or whatever else you think will help me find the right picture. Or I can Google search an image and pin it from there. It's great for making a "look board" for my games.

TRELLO for organizing GM notes
I don't know how I ever lived without Trello. Seriously one of the best online tools out there for organizing your game. With it, I'm able to basically create digital notecards that I can organize by category and color. I usally do the prep part on a computer, to speed up data entry.

For a Rad Astra game I ran a while back, I made different categories (think of them as "stacks" of cards) for things like Weapons, Items, Vehicles, Monsters, Villains, Other NPCs, etc. Then with each category, I was able to color them according to which location they were found.

Color coding made it super easy to correlate where stuff belonged and voilà! An encounter takes shape. It's a more associative way of building your encounters and MUCH easier to mentally wrap your brain at the table.

I'll add a short description, maybe some bullet points with "rumors" or other clues. But at the very least, I'll enter all the stats I need so I don't need to look them up. I can even make a card with an empty stat block and copy/paste that as many times as I need -- filling in the blanks as I go.

Finally, I'll add in some images that I've now cherry-picked off Pinterest. Or maybe a map, that can be shown to players later.

Oh, and if there are any tables or charts you need for the game, I can just take a picture of that table, give it a title and then it's right there for me so I don't have to go searching for it in the book.

All the cards are searchable, FYI -- so if you've got a ton of them for your game, you can just search like you would any other website. 

AT THE TABLE TOOLS

TRELLO for Running Games
Here's where the mobile version of Trello comes in. I've got a tablet I use to run Trello which allows me to quickly access all of my game notes (just need to make sure it's got a wireless connection to grab all the updated cards -- something you can do before coming to the table if there's no wi-fi where you game).

I'll have the stats and descriptions at the ready. I might even have a clip of music linked. But the biggest/best part is being able to flip my tablet around for players to see an image or a map. It's right there! I can even pinch/stretch to zoom in on a map.

Image: TheNoteboard.com

NOTEBOARD for quick map sketch-ups or tracking initiative

One of the best accessories I've found to be really useful at the table was this folding white board that's made exclusively for RPGing. It's got both a grid and hexes on one side and is blank on the reverse. It comes with one dry erase, but it will take any, really. And the carrying pouch doubles as an eraser! Throw in a d20 (like I have) and you've literally got yourself everything you need for a game-on-the-spot RPG!

Other stuff

• Pencils? Check! 
• Paper notecards and Sharpie markers for tabletop name badges (we do a lot of public gaming) Check!
• Hand sanitizer? CHECK!

Yep. I'm a germaphobe. Well not really, but did you ever get sick after a convention? Congrats! You've had Con Crud, the staple cold bug that get passed around from gamer to gamer. I get it. Every. Time. At least I used to. With this stuff, you're warding off quite a bit.

Yes, yes DO tell me how I'm hurting my own immune system by not exposing myself to bugs. You'd be wrong, mostly because I have a preschooler and she's FAR more infectious than any gamers. This just reduces the amount of exposure and general grunge encountered at the game store. Also, I only use the alcohol-based stuff, so it actually KILLS germs. Don't get the triclosan stuff, it's proven to not work.

In any case, I throw a few bottles around the table so other folks can use it to. Or just make fun of me. I'm not afraid of a little ridicule. :-)

So there you have it, a few cool tools to help lighten the load when it comes to prepping and running games!

Best Father's Day yet--DIY Star Wars WITH DICE!

Last week I mailed my nephew's birthday present (he turned 11) which was a care package filled with Star Wars treats, including the Star Wars West End Game RPG rules, plus a few Micro Machine minis and dice.

While I was (gleefully!) packing the box, my daughter (nearly 4 years old) took notice and inquired as to what I was doing. She and I had just sat down the day before to watch her second viewing of Star Wars (ep. 4), which she LOVES. To her, the entire story is about Princess Leia and Darth Vader. She's not wrong--as much as Luke figures into the film, Leia is the one leading the Rebels (as far as she knows, anyway!). 

Her favorite scene is when Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewie are trapped in he garbage compactor. I get a million questions every time that plays. "ARE THEY IN THE GARBAGE? WHY DID THEY GO IN THERE? WHAT'S THAT EYE DOING? WHERE DID IT GO?"

She seems to feed off the tension of will-they-or-won't-they make it out. By far, her favorite line--which she quoted to me a day later: "WILL SOMEONE GET THIS WALKING CARPET OUT OF MY WAY?" Yes, of course, your worshipfullness!

Anyway, I should have seen it coming, but she totally surprised me yesterday (Father's Day) by asking if we could "Play that Star Wars game of yours..." meaning the one I packed up for my nephew. 

Seriously, what greater gift can you give a nerd dad than to ask to play a tabletop game of his favorite franchise? ON. FATHER'S. DAY.

So I grabbed a case of Star Wars minis and some dice. Only, she's still learning her numbers. She can read them quite well, but I wanted something that I thought she could identify at a glance, so we went with Fate Dice (+, -, 0) for her first crack at tabletop gaming. I thought we'd run it as a Make Believe session and use the dice to figure out "who wins" an encounter.

A skirmish game!

Throughout our play session, I am, of course, crafting all these (pared-down) rules in my head. Doing my best to go slow and explain things simply and in as short a manner as possible, so as to satisfy the feverish temperament of a toddler's attention span. She seemed to "get it" just fine, but I wasn't sure she was having fun. 

Eventually, we just let the rules fall to the wayside. She laughed uproariously when our minis chased each other around the floor, pretending the the characters were in a back-and-forth game of tag. Soon it was bed time and she (naturally!) was not happy we had to put them away for the night. 

She asked to play again tonight before dinner. I told her "sure" but we can dispense with the dice--believing myself to be freeing her of unnecessary rules that might hamper imagination.  

"No Dad! WE NEED THE DICE!"

Apparently she really liked using them. Even if she didn't get all my crazy rules--to her they added to part of the mystery of the game, and (I'm guessing wildly here) maybe even part of its magic. To be honest, it doesn't matter to me that she likes Star Wars. Or anything that I like. But I'm ecstatic to see her using her imagination. We could play games in whatever world she wants and I'll be happy either way. 

Sooner or later, she'll get those rules down...whatever they end up being. But for now, I think we're both just thrilled to be zooming around the room galaxy!

Blomkamp's RAKKA is fantastically weird and BRUTAL

Director Neill Blomkamp's Oats Studios released the first episode--in three parts--of his new experimental films. RAKKA tells the story of an alien-occupied Earth, now turned... you know what? I'm not going to say.

Just watch it. And know that it's not for the faint of heart. I watched this after mindnight last night and I'm certain I didn't sleep well because of it. (So you know it's good ;-)

Enjoy!

TRAILER: Neill Blomkamp's new scifi project looks wicked cool!

As a fan of Neill Blomkamp's particular flavor of weird scifi, his next project called Oat Studios Volume 1, looks just as visually stunning as anything in his repertoire. I'm a big fan of District 9's stripped down approach to filmmaking and I really enjoyed Elysium's take on have vs. have-nots space-based society.

I'm looking forward to this latest endeavor, which will be a series of shorter films that will stream on Steam.

The first one is set post-apocalypse after an alien lizard invasion.

Check it out:

Bonus Game Idea: A mashup of District + Elysium + OSV1 would make a fantastic setting for Garske Games' Stay Frosty!

Blomkamp's grimy-high-tech future is a fresh alternative to the traditional Aliens/Predator/Terminator aesthetic we all know and love.


Via io9

40 years ago in a galaxy far, far away...

I'm old enough that I can say I saw this in the theater. It forever altered my brain chemistry. In a good way! I recently sat down with my own kiddo to watch it with her for the first time (and she's the same age I was when I saw it!). For her, the Saga is only _just_ beginning. I envy her.

Here's the first few frames that started it all. I recall feeling even smaller than I was watching those ships pass over my head. Grand space opera indeed!



Thank you George and company for dreaming it up.

May the Force be with you...always.

Final trailer for Valerian debuts!

Here's our last look at the film before it arrives in theaters in July 21 (US). Have a look:

 

Click the Valerian tag in this post to see the previous trailers, images, posters, and more!

FINALLY! Star Trek Discovery trailer emerges!

WELL IT TOOK THEM LONG ENOUGH! But the first trailer for Star Trek Discovery is finally here!

And ya know what? It's not bad at all. The visuals are actually really impressive--something you'd expect for a modern Star Trek TV program.

We get some great shots of Michelle Yeoh being all capable and stern.

But the real star is supposed to be the ship's first officer, played by Sonequa Martin-Green.

A few hints of the Klingons, which (spoiler, but not really, because you're about to watch it) look like the Klingons from the recently rebooted films.

I'm actually okay with that. They look more alien, which makes the political and social divide between Terran and Klingon cultures more believable.

Discovery has been plagued with development issues--the biggest of which was when producer Bryan Fuller left the project. Some folks have grumbled about the fact that it will only be available on CBS All Access for the first run of the episodes. I'm sure it won't be long after airing that the network pushes them out for wider distribution.

But with this new footage, we finally get a chance to be excited about the show!

Here's the trailer:



Star Trek Discovery airs, well, that's not entirely clear at the moment--but it's still technically listed as 2017 on IMDB, so there's hope!

UPDATE: Feast your eyes on the official poster...

Video and images: CBS/Paramount

Alpha Star Moon Mission is a GO!

Found someone online selling a vintage Fisher Price Alpha Star moon rover (remember Adventure People?). It's missing a few pieces (the robot, alien creature and mechanical arm) but the geeklet didn't seem to mind--though I may hunt them down.

She played with it as soon as it arrived yesterday and went straight to it again this morning. Jesse from Toy Story and Rey from Force Awakens were assigned a lunar excursion mission and zooming across the floor  in no time.  

We'll make an armchair astronaut outta' that kid yet!

TRAILER: The Osiris Child

I've not heard squat about this before seeing the trailer, but this looks to be in my geeky wheelhouse of scifi action. The official title is Science Fiction Volume One: The Osiris Child -- which seems to hint at future installments (not sure if it's part of an anthology or what).

If this had been made in the 80s it might be more of a VHS B-movie actioner, but the effects definitely give this a polish not seen from these nondescript (read: non-IP) films.

Here's some sweet air vehicle battles:

Here's the full trailer:


It's an Aussie production and comes out there later this month. Doesn't yet have a US release, but definitely one to watch. It goes without saying this is ripe for RPG inspiration!

• Via io9
• Release info
• Official site
• IMDB listing
• Instagram

FIRST TRAILER FOR THOR RAGNAROK! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMGOFTHUNDER!



WE KNOW EACH OTHER. HE'S A FRIEND FROM WORK.

Edit:
And did you spot this lil' bit of Kirby tech STRAIGHT OUTTA FANTASTIC FOUR COMIC BOOK?

I mean, pic.twitter.com/ajFCoPzBcb

— Peter Fries (@Peter_Fries) April 10, 2017

And the official poster dropped on Instagram:

More info:

• IMDG listing
• Ragnarok's official Marvel page
• Marvel instagram

TRAILER: One good sign about the new Alien: Covenant film

Those floppy hats are totally channeling Traveller.

TRAILER 2: Valerian trailer is SO GOOD

The new trailer for Luc Besson's grand space opera Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets  dropped. It's a fever dream of colorful alien worlds and rich futurism. Seriously, this looks like The Fifth Element x10.

The latest trailer has a more story points than the last and it's fashioned of almost entirely new footage, have a look:
     

July 21st can't come soon enough!

Previously:

• A poster and, like, SO many pics!
• The first trailer!