@RogerBW@emacs.ch
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RogerBW

@RogerBW@emacs.ch

#Emacs, #Perl, #Rustlang, #PostScript, #Linux sysadmin, polyglot programming, #boardgames, #RPGs, too many #podcast s, 3d modelling and #3dprinting.
He/him or they/them.
Here's a nickel, kid. Get yourself a better computer.
If I unfollow you it's probably for my mental health/distraction rather than anything you've done. If you want to follow me, have a profile that looks as if it was written by a human.

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shimminbeg, to random
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@BigJackBrass
RT from catwheezie on TW (three masto profiles but I can't tell if any of them are genuine)

RogerBW,
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@shimminbeg @BigJackBrass There must be a conversion for Bunnies & Burrows.

RogerBW, to random
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@lordof1 you need to see this.
https://dmv.community/@jcrabapple/110302032792318605

RogerBW,
@RogerBW@emacs.ch avatar

@lordof1 Ah, curse those biohazard rules.

BigJackBrass, to random
@BigJackBrass@vivaldi.net avatar

The procedures I have to follow at work are entirely exceptions based. It's like the worst set of RPG rules imaginable.

RogerBW,
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@satsuma @BigJackBrass Like DC Heroes, low initiatives declare their actions first, then high initiatives can come along and make them pointless.

RogerBW,
@RogerBW@emacs.ch avatar

@satsuma @BigJackBrass So I'll just roll the dice to choose between them then…

RogerBW,
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@satsuma @BigJackBrass Seriously, a friend of mine regarded this as one of the major factors working against the Nazi war machine - Hitler saw a project and said "ooh, shiny", and it got absolute top priority, just like all the other shiny projects with absolute top priority. Whereas in England your brilliant idea had to convince civil servants who'd seen six brilliant ideas before breakfast.

RogerBW, to random
@RogerBW@emacs.ch avatar

Falcon 4: Lost In Time

Mission Brief

It is April 1st 3034. On this day you are to attempt to make history by piloting your model A3 Time Machine into the far- future. No one has yet undergone Future Travel successfully. It was on the day of Agidy Yelov's escape from the confinement section of the Eiger Vault that TIME Lord Pilota made the most recent attempt. She set her Time Machine to travel to Earth in the year 4000 AD but it remained firmly rooted in the present of 3033 AD. Pilota, however, suffered severe disorientation as the Variac Drive of her machine cut in, carrying her into the void of null-space for what seemed to her like seventeen days. When she stepped out of the machine no more than an instant of real time had passed, yet she had thought that she was forever lost in the nothingness of null-space, doomed to a lifetime of boredom, until supplies of food in the Time Ship's nutrition dispenser were used up. After two months of convalescence in free-fall on Spiro's Ringworld she bravely volunteered to undertake another mission, but it was decided by the other Lords of TIME, the Keladi, R'rrllk and Silvermane the Rigellian, that too much danger was involved. No TIME Lord will be risked on so dangerous a mission.

[cont'd]

RogerBW,
@RogerBW@emacs.ch avatar

Following your success against the Supervillain Baal you have been promoted. As the new leader of the Special Agent Section of TIME, you were responsible for finding an experienced Time Traveller to undertake Future-Travel. Not wishing to place one of your agent's lives at risk you yourself have volunteered. As you tidy your desk before setting out for the Eiger Vault you calculate your chances of success. Skirrow's techs claim to have overcome the problem of leaving null-space to enter a future timehole, and, you reflect, it would be bad for morale if you ordered one of the agents you have so recently been promoted above to what many would claim was certain death. As you speak the word which engages your desk's timelock, your mind is made up. You will be the first Future-Traveller of all time, or die trying.

[Score a Q]

Inside the cavernous Eiger Vault there is absolute quiet. A group of five people await you near Falcon's Wing. The tall form of Lord Pilota, the Lastlander, her body braced by an artificial exoskeleton against the gravity of Earth, moves towards you with an eery mechanical grace. Her face, pale and drawn, still reflects the horror she went through when she believed for seventeen days that she was entombed alone in the void of null- space forever. 'May all your landings be happy ones,' she says by way of wishing you good luck.

Agent Bloodhound volunteers to take your place. You use your powers of Psychic Awareness to explore Bloodhound's thoughts and you can tell that in the deepest parts of his mind he is hoping you will not allow him to try Future Travel, although you cannot help but admire his selfless courage in offering.

'No Blood, I need you here, you have primary responsibility for Dyskra and Rigel Prime now, as well as Proxima Centauri and Earth prior to the Dark Ages.'

He nods but adds, jokingly; 'Who needs anyone with you around, Falcon, they'll make you Emperor of the Federation next.'

[cont'd]

RogerBW,
@RogerBW@emacs.ch avatar

You are about to reply in the same jocular vein when Skirrow, head of the Research Section of TIME, takes your arm. He seems nervous as he tells you that he believes his technicians have solved the problem of emerging in the future. 'Of course,' he continues, 'what we cannot know is how easy it will be to come back again.' He shrugs his shoulders, his blue eyes looking disarmingly innocent. You thank him tersely, wish Lord Pilota and Bloodhound well and allow the two technicians who have checked every instrument and component of Falcon's Wing, to help you into your crash-couch. Soon you are alone and a sense of grim foreboding grips you as your mind wanders across the seas of time and space, searching, using your Psychic Awareness, for the timehole in Earth's future, 4000 AD.

At last you are ready and CAIN engages Falcon's Wing's modified Variac Drive. Everything turns to grey. You can see through your grey body and through the ghostly transparent lines of the Time Ship's hull. The ship is a ghostly ball suspended in a void of absolute nothingness which stretches away in every direction to infinity. After about an hour, during which time you wait with mounting tension, the ship rematerialises and the hydraulic legs slide into position as Falcon's Wing settles with a bump. CAIN chimes, The date is March 1st, 4000 AD, Falcon. You are the first human ever to experience Future Travel.'

'Are you suggesting that somewhere aliens have Future Travel?' you query.

'Incomplete data, I cannot respond,' chimes CAIN. Suppressing a smugness at the realisation that you have, on this rare occasion, got the better of the know-all CAIN, you switch on the outside monitor.

[cont'd]

RogerBW, (edited )
@RogerBW@emacs.ch avatar

To your surprise, the camera shows the snow laden slopes of Mount Eiger. Falcon's Wing is perched precariously on a high ledge instead of inside the Eiger Vault of the future. Either there has been a small timeflux, your Psychic Awareness has let you down, or there is no longer a cavernous hollow inside the mountain. Cloud swirls suddenly about the ledge and you see something you have never before witnessed - lightning. An electrical storm is raging around the mountain tops. Electrical storms cause interference to holophone communications and the controlled weather of Earth in 3034 AD with its equal shares of rain for all save the holiday sunspots does not allow them. Either the people of 4000 AD enjoy them, or the world's weather control has failed. Your mission brief called upon you to return to Earth in 3034 AD as soon as CAIN had confirmed that you had undergone Future Travel. Will you:

Follow orders and return immediately to 3034 AD?

Try to intercept a holocommunication to see if you can learn something of this future Earth?

DarkestKale, to random
@DarkestKale@mastodon.social avatar

Good morning folks

RogerBW,
@RogerBW@emacs.ch avatar

@DarkestKale Friend of mine bought a lot of Necromunda stuff cheap when they shut it down. Quite fun but oh boy it needs storage space to do it right.

RogerBW,
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@DarkestKale "There is something that is the thing I want to eat, which will actually stop me feeling hungry. But I don't know what it is."

RogerBW,
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@DarkestKale Disc binding, man! Not only fun but very obscure. 🤨

RogerBW,
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@DarkestKale @BigJackBrass Definitely won't go through a sheet feeder though.

RogerBW,
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@BigJackBrass @DarkestKale Not to mention powergenitalia.

RogerBW,
@RogerBW@emacs.ch avatar

@DarkestKale @BigJackBrass The discs are necessarily wider than the thickness of the pages - so it opens flat, but there's a ridge of discs in the middle, and you can't really put a bunch of them on a shelf.

RogerBW,
@RogerBW@emacs.ch avatar

@DarkestKale @BigJackBrass Canonically it gives a bonus to Seduction skill. Not sure what sort of bars these people are going to.

deinol, to random
@deinol@dice.camp avatar

Thinking about Vargr in the Fifth Frontier War.

There are two fleets that attack the imperium, but are they trying to conquer worlds or just raid them? How long can they loot a system before their holds are full and they need to turn back?

Although since the war lasts several years they certainly have time to raid and retreat multiple times.

RogerBW,
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@deinol What I remember of Vargr psychology suggests that they'd expand until there were enough frontier worlds to raid without running in to each other. (And if defensive fleets are getting disrupted they might well move in for the glory.) I don't think they particularly have an expansion imperative.

BoardGameBloke, to random
@BoardGameBloke@tabletop.vip avatar

Monday night & in Moorpark, CA. Haven’t played Obsession aka Downton Abbey the since the before times. It’s heavy on the theme & a bit too random for the tight fan. If you immerse yourselves in the theme it flows nicely. Keep the matriarch of the family at hand to kick out those unwanted guests! But only once they are of no further use!
Quacks with expansion and plastic bits, Not Alone, Cosmic Encounter, & Incan Gold hit the other tables.

Obsession board game with Richard & Steve
Not Alone board game
Quacks of Quedlinburg with Herbes expansion board game

RogerBW,
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@emmahunneyball @BoardGameBloke I first played Quacks using someone's set with the GeekUp resin bits. I immediately decided I would not buy it until I could get something equivalent. (There are 3d-printable ones, and some people have used coin capsules on the cardboard.)

RogerBW,
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@BoardGameBloke @emmahunneyball Don't know as I haven't tried it, but the PLA I print with generally seems to wear pretty well. I use coin capsules with the tokens for Ashes and they're great.

RickiTarr, to random
@RickiTarr@beige.party avatar

One time a guy acted like I was a witch, because I asked him what his sign was, so I put a curse on him.

RogerBW,
@RogerBW@emacs.ch avatar

@RickiTarr "Cool! Do you correct for equinoctial precession?"

UncleDuke1969, to random

the SpaceX break room

RogerBW,
@RogerBW@emacs.ch avatar

@UncleDuke1969 Pressurised tank structural compromise with subsequent spaceframe/terrain interface and loss of spaceframe integrity.

RogerBW, to random
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Taking the detector tripod, you leave Falcon's Wing, and set it up behind a white adobe house that is adorned with many bright flowers. As the white gem begins to glow brightly you explore its psionic emanations with your mind. You find it is registering the presence of a segment of the Rack. It is lying in one of the buildings near the Great Pyramid. Putting the tripod back in Falcon's Wing, you head towards the pyramid. As you near it the babble of many voices grows louder. Rounding a large stone building you are presented with an awesome sight. You are at the top of a flight of one of the many stone steps leading down to an enormous plaza, surrounding the Great Pyramid. The plaza is filled with thousands upon thousands, a teeming crowd of Aztecs. Most are dressed simply in feathered shirts or robes, others are dressed richly in brightly patterned robes and head- dresses. The stairs that rise up the centre of the bricked pyramid are filled with hundreds of prisoners, almost naked, many covered in white down stuck to their bodies by their own blood. They are formed into a long column marching into the plaza itself. Aztec Eagle Knights, and Jaguar Knights, dressed in the skins of the jaguar from head to foot, are hemming them in. At the top of the pyramid are many black robed priests as well as what must be the Emperor Ahuitzotl, wearing the most incredible finery, with his retinue. The sight of what they are doing fills you with revulsion.

[cont'd]

RogerBW,
@RogerBW@emacs.ch avatar

You take the star-shaped Rack and send it spinning through the air towards Baal. It leaves a shimmering trail of light behind it as it arcs down, whining shrilly. Baal's eyes widen in horror and he screams once more, 'Noooo, not again, please!' Suddenly the Rack splits into four and each section arrows away to fasten at Baal's wrists and ankles. He is powerless as the Rack spreadeagles him, lifting him, cartwheeling around, into the air. The fly creatures halt in mid-air, hovering, unsure without the driving will of their master behind them. Each triangle begins to shimmer and crackle with white light. Then streaks of white lightning flash from triangle to triangle, enmeshing Baal in bands of bright energy. Soon he disappears from view, completely enclosed in a prison of pure elemental energy. Suddenly the whole thing disappears. The fly creatures flutter downward, purposeless. At last you have succeeded, you turn and jet back to Falcon's Wing. You tell CAIN to set co-ordinates for the Eiger Vault in a tired voice, your mission complete.

[cont'd]

RogerBW,
@RogerBW@emacs.ch avatar

Some hours later, you are rested and sitting in Jobanque's office, relating the story of your mission to your Section Chief. When you have finished he says: 'A remarkable tale, Falcon. You are indeed our most resourceful agent. Once again, the Federation - indeed all the peoples of the known universe - owe their freedom to you. Who knows what crimes Baal would have perpetrated in his lust for ultimate power! The Cavers have had some unfortunate changes in their past, but they know you prevented the situation from getting worse. Much worse. The government of Cave, that is to say, the reigning Mother, has sent her personal thanks to you. However, not all the news is good. Agent Lynx is in hospital; she was on Yelov's trail, but he got the better of her. He's still at large somewhere, but keeping very quiet. Anyway, go and have some rest now Falcon, you've earned it!' A few days later, you receive a message asking you to go and see Jobanque again. When you arrive, you can see maintenance men going in and out of his office. Going in you can see it is being cleared out.

[cont'd]

RogerBW,
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Jobanque is standing behind his desk, directing operations. Seeing you he says, 'Falcon, good to see you.' He pauses for a moment, smiling at you'. Then he says, 'I've been kicked upstairs, Falcon. They've selected me to be the Earther Lord of TIME, along with Silvermane, Pilota and R1llk of the Keladi! I've also got something for you, Falcon,' and he hands you a sheet of paper. It is an official TIME document. Your heart leaps as you realise you have been promoted to Section Chief, taking over from Jobanque's position. 'Agents Bloodhound, Lynx, Leopard, Chameleon and the rest are all under your command now, Falcon,' Jobanque says happily. 'Congratulations, Section Chief! Before you go, I've one last surprise for you,' and he opens the door. Standing there, grinning, is Braxton Bragg, looking a little older, but much the same, preserved by life-prolonging drugs. He smiles warmly and grabs your hand, shaking it vigorously.

'Good to see you again, after all these years. Falcon. Jobanque has told me all about it. I've always wondered who you were, a Time Traveller, eh! Never would've guessed it back on Chill in a million years.' You leave the TIME building together. He tells you he owns the Mining Company now and you reminisce about what he calls the 'Old Days' together, That thing certainly gave us a hard time, eh, Falcon.' But, of course, for him it was fifty-eight years ago, whilst for you it has only been a matter of days....

[And that's the end of book 3, "The Rack of Baal". Scores were +1 for getting off the Aztec temple grid and +1 for sneaking up on Achov. No deaths this time! Coming up soon, book 4, "Lost in Time" - probably tomorrow.]

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