Daily Illuminator Archive for July 2011

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July 1, 2011:
Are you a fan of Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels? If not, put down the screen right now and go read them all . . . read article

July 2, 2011:
No, not historical evidence of the existence of the Hyborian Age -- we all know that's been suppressed by the reptoids -- but printer proofs of Munchkin Conan the Barbarian (which may eventually become suppressed by reptoids . . . you never know what those scaly creeps will take offense to). As you may recall, printer proofs are what we get to make sure all the fronts are oriented properly with the backs, all the correct fronts and backs are matched, and the colors are what we expected . . . read article

July 3, 2011:
This year I'll be at the San Diego Comic Con with Andrew and Ben, where we'll be teaching Zombie Dice and Cthulhu Dice, handing out an insane number of Munchkin goodies, chatting about Munchkin Axe Cop, and may even have a limited number of copies of Munchkin Conan the Barbarian available for sale. If you're going to be at the show, please stop by the booth and say hi (though I suggest you come in the mornings before Ben arrives, because I'm a lot more fun to talk with than Ben is).  There will also be a small number of different Warehouse 23 exclusives for sale at the show, but those are limited and we're never sure how quickly they'll vanish . . . read article

July 4, 2011:
Barbecue, fireworks, and lemonade -- the Fourth of July is one of my favorite holidays. Quite a few people agree with me - enough that the office is closed today! . . . read article

July 5, 2011:
Those who follow my weekly updates will know that I've been reviewing a long first draft, which has meant less news than usual from me on virtually every other front since late May. As I've had quite a few people trying to guess what I'm working on, and because groundless speculation inevitably leads to madness (or at least confusion), I asked Steve if I could share with you, and he said, "Yes." So . . . . . read article

July 6, 2011:
As of July 5, the Austin headquarters of Steve Jackson Games has shifted to a Monday through Thursday schedule; the office will be closed on Fridays. Warehouse 23 will not be shipping or processing orders, and customer service for both W23 and e23 will be delayed until the following Monday . . . read article

July 7, 2011:
Three months ago we released the Android version of the Munchkin Level Counter. Since then, we've learned that Android is a highly varied platform – over two-thirds of those who purchased the app are running Android 2.2, but when it comes to the platform, "Other" wins the day . . . read article

July 8, 2011:
I'm attending San Diego Comic-Con to work in the Adventure Retail booth, and I'm heading to California a few days early to visit some stores, meet some people, and demo some games. Come on by and say howdy! . . . read article

July 9, 2011:
Wow" is too weak a word for what I said when I saw that the red and black Cthulhu Shot Glass was sold out. Seriously? . . . read article

July 10, 2011:
SJ will be returning to GenCon this year. He doesn't have a heavy schedule right now . . . read article

July 11, 2011:
Like a good palindrome, there are often two mirrored sides of any struggle. Take the ongoing war between Heaven and Hell (or Hell and Heaven, depending on your viewpoint) . . . read article

July 12, 2011:
When I became Munchkin Czar in January 2009 I was told that we were planning to update the fantasy Munchkin sets with full-color art. I figured as long as we were doing that, why not take a look at the cards and rules and see where they needed a little polish? . . . read article

July 13, 2011:
Don't panic! "Sold out" is technically correct -- we have sold every case of Munchkin Cthulhu Crypts of Concealment from our warehouse -- but your friendly local game store has access to plenty. Not that you should be dissuaded from rushing right out and picking up two . . . no, three copies right now, of course . . . read article

July 14, 2011:
As Munchkin Axe Cop is being printed, we thought you'd like to see a few of the cards. This week it's a new twist on an old favorite: Loaded Die . . . read article

July 15, 2011:
Look for these to start shipping in October! Giant Cthulhu Dice Everybody loved the giant foam Cthulhu Dice set that we made for convention demos! They begged and pleaded . . . read article

July 16, 2011:
I've seen more than a few people ask on our forums: "Will there be a 2011 Warehouse 23 Munchkin booster pack?" (That question usually comes up about 2.6 seconds after someone opens the Exclusive Warehouse 23 Munchkin Booster 2010.) Officially, all I can say is that we have not announced a 2011 Warehouse 23 exclusive Munchkin booster pack . . . read article

July 17, 2011:
I'm sometimes far too easily amused. How else would you explain my fascination with Google Analytics? . . . read article

July 18, 2011:
The joys of summer include long days, relaxing vacations, and impromptu trips . . . like when you and a group of friends decide it'd be fun to charge into a nearby dungeon and relieve its occupants of their belongings and lives. Your skills are honed; the horses are fueled . . . read article

July 19, 2011:
As announced during our most recent uStream chat, we're running a contest to find the best subtitle for Munchkin 8 (to be released next spring), a 112-card expansion that introduces the Centaur and Lizard Guy races. E-mail your entries to contest@sjgames.com by noon Austin time on Tuesday, July 26 . . . read article

July 20, 2011:
See, this is what I get for reading Fark. Not that I'm going to stop . . . read article

July 21, 2011:
It's time to sneak a peek at another card from Munchkin Axe Cop! This week, we look at one of my favorite weapons: Blade Gun . . . read article

July 22, 2011:
When you read this I will have (hopefully) survived the first full day of San Diego Comic Con. I had a great time, saw friendly people, bought too many toys, and blah, blah, blah . . . read article

July 23, 2011:
We're bringing a couple new pieces of equipment to Gen Con this year, but my favorite is the capsule machine. Yep, just like the dispensers outside your local grocery store, this one is filled with cool stuff! . . . read article

July 24, 2011:
It's hard to believe that it's been a decade since we released Munchkin at GenCon 2001. (That was in Milwaukee, for you kids who didn't know that GenCon wasn't always in Indianapolis.) . . . read article

July 25, 2011:
With the arrival of convention season, it's tempting to start buying everything cool that catches your eye. Were you enticed by that 12-foot blowgun? . . . read article

July 26, 2011:
This video on Jalopnik about weapon systems improvised by the rebels in Libya has a couple of definite Car Wars moments. Thanks to Lisa Steele for the pointer! . . . read article

July 27, 2011:
The GURPS damage for an axe swung by a normal person is 1d+2. But what if the person is so big the axe looks like a push-pin? . . . read article

July 28, 2011:
Remember last year when Phil brought bags of mysterious candy to the office? I suspect someone did the same for Ethan and Malachai Nicolle, creators of Axe Cop . . . read article

July 29, 2011:
Not exactly Discworld, but on Saturday, July 9, I woke to a bit of a minor disaster: the special Munchkin card that we printed for NADWCon 2011 (see the July 1 Daily Illuminator) was missing in transit. That card was created specifically for the convention, so there was only one option for me: it was time to fly to Madison, WI and personally deliver the cards . . . read article

July 30, 2011:
The convention may be over, but the effects of our time at San Diego Comic Con will be felt for many months to come. Not only did Andrew, Ben, and I spend our time teaching games -- Zombie Dice and Cthulhu Dice were played almost non-stop -- but Andrew and I also attended a number of secret meetings that sealed a few deals and guaranteed that we would be busy for several months . . . read article

July 31, 2011:
Gen Con is, for us, much more than just four days of gaming. It starts much earlier in the year, with the annual "You want to put what in the booth?" discussion, the festive dances celebrating the mountain of paperwork, and my personal favorite: Pallet Day, when the presence of stretch wrap on the pallet somehow inspires our memories to work with unnatural accuracy, reminding us of those three things we forgot to pack . . . read article

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