Gower, The Grandmaster of the Written Word

Member Since

3/31/2019

Last Activity

3/23/2023 3:24 PM

EXP Points

4,301

Post Count

1129

Storygame Count

4

Duel Stats

0 wins / 0 losses

Order

Notorious Marauder Exemplar

Commendations

507

"He was slightly less unfun."

 

 

 

"Somehow there was comfort in coffee despite his misery; the only comfort in a black world." -- Hornblower in the West Indies

 

Trophies Earned

Earning 100 Points Earning 500 Points Earning 1,000 Points Earning 2,000 Points Powerful Professor with an A plus grade on many aspects of this site. Be it writing, helping others, or a positive attitude while doing those things. Having 3 Storygame(s) Featured Rated 92.9% of all Stories Given by BerkaZerka on 12/14/2019 - For an inspiring display of creativity ^v^ Given by EndMaster on 01/07/2020 - You may be fooling the rest, but I know you’re up to no good. Given by Killa_Robot on 02/24/2021 - For having all the best words. Also great contributions to the site. Given by MadHattersDaughter on 03/29/2021 - Your stories are some of my favorites on the site. I’m still not convinced you are not my writing doppelganger. . . Given by mizal on 10/11/2019 - For your exceptional games and articles, many forum contributions, and disturbing sweetness and light. (Sorry about McAllen, it wasn’t our idea either.) Given by ninjapitka on 10/22/2022 - Overdue tuition payment Given by Will11 on 10/12/2019 - For your excellent stories and many worthwhile contributions to the site :)

Storygames

Featured Story Kelly Unicornstrider and Friends (1982-1985) Super Quiz

A comprehensive quiz + bonus fan faction about the the underrated cult classic show "Kelly Unicornstrider and Friends" (1982-1985). Questions range from really easy to really difficult.


Featured Story Private Game for Natalie

I think putting this on "publish" makes it so only we can see this. It's just for us, sweetie. I made it to celebrate our anniversary and remember some special intimate moments together over the years in an interesting way as a present for you.

I hope you love it, Natalie, as much as I love you!

(Of course if there's any admin looking at this, or if I messed up, don't read this, because it's got private things in it.)


Featured Story Sabbatical Report Presentation

This is my required report to the full faculty in accordance with the rules noted in the Faculty Handbook (version 15.1, as of October 2017)


Sixteen Words

"Personally I can only read 16 words in one go before words stop working," wrote Mizal.

 

This game has sixteen words per path.  Not counting "The End."  So you can play quickly.

 

When reviewing, please use precisely sixteen words.   That should be plenty for your suggestions and observations.

 

Note this challenge connected with this game:  Write the Last Page!


Articles Written

Basic Sentence Structure: Additive Sentences
Comma Use and Additive Sentences with lots of examples

Commendations, Orders, and Titles
An introduction to commendations, orders, and titles, and an explanation of how commendations differ from points.

Cumulative Sentences, Part 1
An introduction to the sophisticated and elegant cumulative sentence style.

Cumulative Sentences, Part 2
Master the elusive and attractive cumulative sentence by using panning and zooming style of description.

Dialogue Punctuation
This is a brief discussion of how to punctuate dialogue in US and UK English. It also notes a few rules for quotation mark use in general.

Relative Sentences
A lecture on how to write relative sentences using restrictive and non-restrictive clauses.

Semicolons and Advanced Additive Sentences
This article explains how to use semicolons to create new types of additive sentences. It includes the plain semicolon and semicolons with transition words.

Trophies
All about Trophies.

Understanding Style: The Sweet Style
An introduction to style, focusing on "sweet" style. How to recognize it, when to use it, and when to avoid it.

Recent Posts

CoG staff pissing off their base AGAIN on 3/20/2023 12:03:08 PM

All I do is write all day long, and anything beyond that goes right over my head. 

We're clearly long past mere Triple Agent at this point.  I need like a d20 to roll for loyalty each day, like Two-Face but with more options.


Luc Bat poem on 3/8/2023 1:09:36 PM

"Arkham Living Card Game--

I must purchase the same old core

to do well?  I abhor

Fantasy Flight.  Oh, more minis?

More cards?  More boxes--please!

I'll buy the Scarlet Keys, some dice,

your stupid core box (twice).

Feeding my family rice for meals--

It's pathetic for reals."

He sits alone and deals his cards.


Boardgame Thread on 12/22/2022 6:15:26 PM

Yeah, the artwork is not great.  Not that it was so great in 1e.  I'm bummed that I missed out on some of the 1e factions when they were still in print.  I never got the original Phoenix Elf/Tundra Orcs box, Alliances, which is pretty expensive now, and most of the second summoners. 

I still look around on ebay every so often to see if I can find some of the older stuff, but when it showed up, it's stupid pricey.


Boardgame Thread on 12/22/2022 5:15:23 PM

Here's a game recommendation: Summoner Wars.

It's sort of like a minis game that you play with card.  You buy your faction for like $10-15, and it has everything you need.  It's got fun, tactical combat, and the rule set is super slick and easy.  You can learn how to play in five minutes, but every card has its own special rules that make them flavorful and interesting, printed right on the card.

Each deck has a bunch of common units, some champions, and a summoner.  The goal of the game is to kill the enemy summoner.

So here is what makes the game great.  Each faction is incredibly distinct and well balanced.  The Cloaks fight dirty and sneaky; Vanguard is highly defensive; Goblins swarm you with a bunch of low quality guys; Skyspears are mobile.  And the feeling of each faction is quite different when playing a different faction.  I went in on first edition Summoner Wars a while back and at this time I own 19 different factions, which is sort of sad, because now second edition is out and I'm just trying to figure out if I should buy into second edition and start over or fill in the gaps in my 1e game in a brooding sort of way just because.  It seems like 2e is really good, like, in every way, so if you haven't played this game yet, you can avoid my fate and just jump right into the better version.

It plays fast.  An hour would be a long game.  Fast cleanup.  You can have a blast with just two factions, but then you'll get addicted and want more.

You can try out Summoner Wars, btw, here.  Nothing beats pushing around actual cards and rolling real dice, but it's free to try.


A New Book Club on 11/14/2022 7:26:27 PM

I'm in.  Looking forward to having a discussion with everyone who has done the reading assignment.


Fantasy Recommendations? on 11/5/2022 5:43:14 PM

When I have a big stack of essays to grade on my desk, I get really, really shy and also irritable and sort of violent.  It's a very specific bashfulness.

But yeah.  Read those books.  You may need to keep a cheat sheet handy to figure out who the various elf-lords and what the various elf stronghold are, but there's not that many of them.  Beren and Luthien and the Fall of Gondolin are great, but The Children of Hurin, especially once you get about halfway in, is primo Tolkien. 


Government poll on 9/2/2022 5:47:02 PM

I will report back after I watch it tonight.  I suppose it's possible I could be persuaded by the Elven King. 


Government poll on 9/2/2022 5:33:06 PM

MHD knows how to win my vote-slash-fealty.


The 2nd Annual MHD Appreciation Week! on 7/16/2022 3:27:00 PM

I'm so pleased that you used the word "etiolated."


Prompt Contest Results on 7/13/2022 9:24:21 AM

I know, I was hedging on some of my scores, but I figured a few point-fives and point-two-fives wouldn't cause too many problems, and might even prevent some ties.