#A Walk in the Park

[tilbageidanmark]

[redrcs]

A walk in the park #3

[punk-chicken-radio]

A Little Parks & Recreation?…..

…..so there’s nothing better for your health, so the science says, than being outdoors in the sunshine and fresh air and greenery…..I know @loveaxiomatic can’t wait to be back out there practicing her prancercize again…..

…..so go on…..get out there into the great wide open…..get into the trees…..there’s lots of them out there…..but before you do you might want to do a little research and check for any dangerous plants, or stingy bugs, or viscous wild animals in your area…..you never know what might be lurking…..although around here the only things dodgy in the bushes are politicians and BBC presenters…..

…..oh, hang on a minute…..outside sounds a bit scary when you put it like that…..reminds me of a wasp situation from a few years ago…..and there seems to be rather a lot of them about this time of year…..better take some back up with me just in case…..

…..you know what’s next…..a playlist that I thought might be a bit tricky to complete…..but it turned out to be a walk in the park…..

Countryside Kisses 😘

love(jesus on a cracker)axiomatic

The Old(I got another brain damage)Smelly

[besidethepath]

Painting with light

[karaspal]

cw!nia: wow being a superhero is SO FUN! kara, check out my cool gloves. pretty rad, right?

comics!nia: tf you mean you doxxed my entire town and kidnapped my family? good thing my friends hate me now so i’ve got no one left to help me i guess.

[catblackard]

THIS WEEKEND (Thursday Aug 8th - Sunday Aug 11th) the annual Worldcon (aka The World Science Fiction Convention) hits Glasgow, Scotland - but you don't have to be in Scotland to attend!

Omniverse will be there, represented by myself, @cthulhumystery and @gbresurrection's Doug Banks, and @mothershewrote's @cmdrjessie, along with Tess Tanenbaum who you'll meet in an upcoming Surprise RPG project. (Tess is in-person in Glasgow, while the rest of us appear online.)

We're all taking part in a number of panels about all sorts of things: JRPGs, food in anime, horror podcasts... but the big ticket Omniverse item is on Friday at 12:30pm EST / 17:30pm BST:

Surprise RPGs: Interactive Storytelling on the Bleeding Edge Or… How a Back to the Future RPG Changed My Life

Gathering around the table to tell stories is a powerful experience - powerful enough to fuel new innovations in storytelling and even therapy. Actual play pioneers Cat Blackard and Doug Banks (The Call of Cthulhu Mystery Program) take you down the rabbit hole of Surprise RPGs and "The Omniverse Method". Their experimental roleplay techniques pull players and audiences into the game like never before, opening hearts and minds and offering bold new storytelling opportunities that blur the lines between fiction and reality. They're joined by interactive narrative scholar and game designer Dr. Theresa Jean Tanenbaum and game master Jessica Mudd to share stories, findings, and advice for bringing your games to life.

We're discussing the methods of play we've developed for Surprise RPGs in a large public forum for the first time. This method began in concepts first tested in Ghostbusters: Resurrection and The Call of Cthulhu Mystery Program and came to fruition in K8 Was Here, The Extermination, City of Daemons, and our upcoming shows A Walk in the Park and Étude of the Storm.

There's more info on all the other panels we're a part of below!

You can get online (and in person) tickets to Worldcon here* and if you can't make them live, your ticket gets you access to video replays.

*Not gonna lie, Worldcon's sign up/ ticketing is obtuse and not user friendly at all, but if you read the above linked page and follow the directions therein, you'll manage. I believe in you. 

OUR PANEL SCHEDULE:

Thursday, August 8, 2024

Let Them Cook - Food in Anime - 08:00 EDT / 13:00 BST (In-Person and Online) 

Omniverse personnel: Jessica Mudd 

We've all wanted to take a bite out of a gorgeous piece of animated food: the hearty and comforting bacon and eggs of Howl's Moving Castle, the explosively flavorful wagyu of Food Wars, or even the dubious treasure bug sorbet of Dungeon Meshi. Come find out with us how anime can create connections between food, the audience, and cooking - but bring your own snacks!

Friday, August 9, 2024

Predicting the Shape of Things to Come  - 05:00 EDT / 10:00 BST (In-Person)

Omniverse personnel: Tess Tanenbaum

The panel discusses how ideas from the past – whether presented as science fiction or factual predictions – have stood the test of time. Which have come true, which were way off, and which are still future possibilities? And who proved better at predicting the future? Was it the scientists, mathematicians and engineers… or the science fiction writers?

Sci-Fi and Fantasy Musicals on Stage -  09:30 EDT/ 14:30 BST (In-Person)

Omniverse personnel: Tess Tanenbaum (moderator)

Return to the Forbidden Planet rocked our spaceship. The Rocky Horror Picture Show had us dancing the Timewarp. The Little Shop of Horrors, taught us botany and Young Frankenstein put on the Ritz. The panel will talk about the best and worst SF musicals, originals versus adaptions, and why we should have more of them.

Surprise RPGs: Interactive Storytelling on the Bleeding Edge Or… How a Back to the Future RPG Changed My Life - 12:30 EDT/ 17:30 BST (Online)

Omniverse personnel: Cat Blackard, Doug Banks, Jessica Mudd, Tess Tanenbaum (moderator)

Gathering around the table to tell stories is a powerful experience - powerful enough to fuel new innovations in storytelling and even therapy. Actual play pioneers Cat Blackard and Doug Banks (The Call of Cthulhu Mystery Program) take you down the rabbit hole of Surprise RPGs and The Omniverse Method. Their experimental roleplay techniques pull players and audiences into the game like never before, opening hearts and minds and offering bold new storytelling opportunities that blur the lines between fiction and reality. They're joined by interactive narrative scholar and game designer Dr. Theresa Jean Tanenbaum and game master Jessica Mudd to share stories, findings, and advice for bringing your games to life.

Saturday, August 10, 2024

The Return of the Witch to A Hostile World - 05:00 EDT/ 10:00 BST (In-person)

Omniverse personnel: Tess Tanenbaum

In recent years, fictional witchcraft has seen a large resurgence, both in online communities and in contemporary horror. How does this interact with the rise of real practitioners? Who are some of the great new witches of speculative fiction? What is it about the idea of witchcraft that appeals in these times of uncertainty, as queer/trans rights are being rolled back and abortion access denied?

Diversity in Tabletop RPGs - 08:00 EDT/ 13:00 BST (Online)*

Omniverse personnel: Cat Blackard (moderator)

Roleplaying games can provide players the opportunity to embody a diverse range of characters with different backgrounds, gender identities, sexualities, abilities, and more. Our panelists will discuss the importance of diversity in tabletop RPGs, introduce audiences to a wide variety of decolonizing and inclusive game systems, and look at how players can push beyond stereotypical representation.

*There are two versions of this panel, an online one and an in-person one, with different panelists. There is a chance that this one may be re-titled "LGBTQIA+ Representation in Tabletop RPGs"

The Immersive Possibilities of Horror Audio - 14:00 EDT/ 19:00 BST (Online)

Omniverse personnel: Cat Blackard

Eerie, unsettling, and spooky tales are a perfect fit for audio dramas. Our panelists converse on modern horror audio dramas, like The Lovecraft Investigations, The Magnus Archives, and Old Gods of Appalachia, and how they use clever sound design, ambient audio, and other audio techniques to immerse their audiences in the world of their stories.

 Sunday, August 11, 2024

Podcast Production: Audio Recording and Editing - 05:00 EDT/ 10:00 BST (Online)

Omniverse personnel:  Jessica Mudd, Cat Blackard (moderator)

How do you make sure your podcast audio is clean, professional, and appealing to the ears of your listeners? Join us for a deep dive into the audio recording and editing process, showcasing strategies for gracefully integrating music or sound effects into your podcast, integrating multiple audio files into a balanced and unified whole, improving the quality of sub-standard audio, and output formats appropriate to your unique circumstances.

Let's Kill and Dethrone God: the History of JRPGs - 08:00 EDT / 13:00 BST (Online and In-Person)

Omniverse personnel: Jessica Mudd, Cat Blackard (moderator)

Japanese Role Playing Games have developed relatively independently to their western counterpart, evolving their own unique tropes, mechanics, and worldbuilding staples. In this panel we will discuss what makes a JRPG, trace its history, and shed light on some hidden gems of the genre - it's not all just Final Fantasy!

[racheldoinstuff]

Trundling along

[glitter-lisp]

After weeks of hunting a serial killer who always seems to be two steps ahead of them, Special Agent Eugene Fitzherbert proposes a desperate Hail Mary: use himself as bait to draw the killer out.

In his defense, the plan does technically work. He definitely caught their killer's attention, considering he's currently drugged to the gills and strapped to an operating table in her basement. Immediately, the plan changes from catching her to just trying to survive long enough for his partner and the team to find him.

And then he realizes the killer has a ten year old son, and the plan changes again.

[happy-mokka]

Kreuzlingen, Switzerland © 2024 by me, myself and I

feel free to enjoy them or not and do whatever

🌤️

🌱🏰🚶🏻‍♂️🌳

“Few people know how to take a walk. The qualifications are endurance, plain clothes, old shoes, an eye for nature, good humor, vast curiosity, good speech, good silence, and nothing too much.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson

[hitchell-mope]

That poor old rodent.

[edithshead]

from A Walk In The Park  Asya by Amer Mohamad styling by Ahmed Rashwan hair and makeup by Ivan Kuz for Vogue Arabia, July 2022

[seals-are-cool]

[redrcs]

A walk in the Park #2

[mysticonsheadcanons]

Thoughts on Episodes 1-10

Note: I will be going through all the episodes, but since that may be a long post, I decided to split it up.

SISTERS IN ARMS: This is a pretty good pilot. I like how they introduced the fantasy setting so easily (instead of the show stopping to say "hey, Piper's an elf" they had Zarya have a quick throwaway line to mention it).

HOW TO TRAIN A MYSTICON: I love how Tazma was revealed as a villain, though it seemed like Arkayna got a lot of focus, which considering this is more of a part two to "Sisters In Arms" I wish she was on equal footing with the other Mysticons, and waited her turn for a character episode.

THE CORONATION: Gawayne is annoying, and this episode seemed to drag on fairly long. Still, it showed that despite how Arkayna acts like a strong leader, she is still a teenage girl prone to immaturity, which I like. Kinda wish we had more of Arkayna thinking of her parents.

THE MYSTICON KID: I like how they showed Piper being more intelligent than she seems, but still has issues with staying calm and not blurting things out. I also think this episode helped the others trust Piper's judgment more, as they realize that while she doesn't say things the most mature and calm way, she has good ideas.

AN EYE FOR AN EYE: Not much to say about this. Fairly good Zarya episode, as it shows her rebellious side, and it shows the Mysticons bonding.

HEART OF GOLD: Cute episode, and I like seeing Em have to struggle with what she wants vs what her dad wants, as I find many people struggled with that at least once.

SCOURGE OF THE SEVEN SKIES; An interesting way to introduce major supporting characters, and cause tension in the team.

LOST AND FOUND: The concept is good, but doesn't match well with the previous episode (for example, no one acknowledges Arkayna calling Zarya a disgrace to the Mysticons.

THE ASTROMANCER JOB: A fun episode, and is when we start doing interesting things with the Astromancers disliking the Mysticons.

A WALK IN THE PARK: I like the curse idea, but the Lovesbreath pollen was silly and blocked a potential heartwarming moment between Arkayna and Piper. Also, I don't think Em's hesitation was the problem, as she already used it during the fight, so I'm not sure if she could have used it against Tazma shortly after.

[duanestudentscadetsunlmtd7]

[pooksbedamned]