Well, we're finally there. I've begun forcing my online identity to coalesce. My blogging will all be on a single blog now; head on over to the re-branded www.goodpointjoe.com to keep up with my antics.
Additionally, for those of you who've been waiting for me to get back to streaming, I've got a new stream location. Check me out at www.twitch.tv/goodpointjoe.
Finally, if we're not already friends on Steam, feel free to add me. My profile is here.
Happy gaming everybody!
Friday, August 22, 2014
Friday, August 1, 2014
Blog Merge
Bros,
This will be the final post on this blog from The Good Point Bros. The previous posts on this blog will be merged into my sports blog, Joe and Joe Sports, and future Bros posts will be on that blog. That blog will get re-branded as well, though I haven't figured out the details just yet.
I'll leave this blog live for a while, in case people forget to check in for a little bit. But for new gaming content (and sports content, if you're into that sort of thing), head over to Joe and Joe Sports.
See you next time!
This will be the final post on this blog from The Good Point Bros. The previous posts on this blog will be merged into my sports blog, Joe and Joe Sports, and future Bros posts will be on that blog. That blog will get re-branded as well, though I haven't figured out the details just yet.
I'll leave this blog live for a while, in case people forget to check in for a little bit. But for new gaming content (and sports content, if you're into that sort of thing), head over to Joe and Joe Sports.
See you next time!
Monday, July 21, 2014
Who Would You Choose for your Star Trek Crew?
Come on, we've all thought about it. At least, those of us who are maximum nerds have. The various Star Trek series have been made even better by the complex characters serving in Starfleet, or for other factions as the stories necessitated. I'm currently watching Enterprise, and while it's no Next Generation, it's nice for satisfying my fix of interstellar intrigue.
Probably my favorite character on the show is Dr. Phlox. He's got that wisdom and compassion that you're always looking for out of each ship's (or station's) chief medical officer. So I got to thinking, is Phlox my favorite doctor from the whole Star Trek universe? Tough call, lots of good doctors out there. And of course, my line of thinking continued: who's my favorite chief engineer? My favorite first officer? And on, and on.
Well, I took the time and put together my "ultimate" Star Trek starship crew, and I invite you to do the same, if you're nerd enough. I recommend you use the same positions in the crew, to make it easier for us to argue. I gave myself a couple of rules:
Not close. While some other officers might be solid choices, nobody matches the perfection of Picard's balance between diplomacy, intelligence, and guile. He's #1 on my list of captains, without question.
First Officer - William Riker, The Next Generation
I've always liked Riker, though some of that may just be the beard. The most important part of Riker's character, though, is that he's a good counterpoint to Picard. He's forceful, aggressive, and a bit reckless, and he challenges his captain in all the right ways. The dynamic between Picard and Riker is one of the best interplays in the whole Star Trek Universe.
Chief Engineer - Montgomery Scott, The Original Series
You can't watch three episodes of the original series without Scotty drawing "water from a stone," so to speak. He consistently manages to get the Enterprise to do things it shouldn't be able to do. Geordi La Forge seems equally capable, but the tie goes to the better accent.
Chief Medical Officer - The Doctor, Voyager
I liked Julian Bashir in Deep Space Nine, and Phlox on Enterprise, but the Emergency Medical Hologram from Voyager was unquestionably the most entertaining aspect of Star Trek Voyager, and that includes Jeri Ryan in a skintight suit. He was dry and funny, and added some of the "technical limitation" type stories to the series, similar to those involving Data in TNG.
Security Officer - Odo, Deep Space Nine
My initial selection here was Tuvok from Voyager. He's the law-and-order logical type I like. But despite not having any other Vulcans, my ship already had a pretty strong Vulcan feel to it. Picard is very methodical and logical, likewise with Data and The Doctor. Odo, while still fairly logical, is fueled a bit more by a passion for law enforcement, not just an implementation of the "most logical conclusions." Plus, I mean, changeling.
Science Officer - Data, The Next Generation
Data's actual position in TNG is "Chief Operations Officer," but that doesn't have a special ring to it. Also, outside of a few special guests, the Enterprise didn't have a true "Science Officer," and most scientific questions went through Data. Like Odo, his unique physical characteristics can be an asset to a crew, and he proved himself to be a dynamic officer throughout the series.
Helmsman - Travis Mayweather, Enterprise
Enterprise actually has a lot of second or third choices for me on this list. Phlox is awesome, Malcolm Reed is compelling, and Hoshi Sato seems extremely capable. Helmsman might be a less-than-glamorous position, but Mayweather does a great job at it. I like that he's a former freighter crewman, so he might know some deep space tricks, and he seems mature and dependable. The only guy who gets talked about as being possibly a better pilot is Tom Paris from Voyager, but he's a jackass, so Mayweather's my guy.
Counselor - Ezri Dax, Deep Space Nine
Something of an unconventional pick by me here. Ezri is a bit flighty, a bit emotional, and a bit uncertain. But she's got a wealth of experience with the Dax symbiont, and she's a refreshing change of pace from most of the rest of my stuffy crew. Plus she's cute.
Hospitality - Guinan, The Next Generation
While I wouldn't mind getting a little "hospitality" from Robin Lefler, that's not exactly her job. Guinan, throughout her time on Enterprise, offered fantastic advice and a friendly ear to anyone who needed it. Plus, she's been alive for like a thousand years or something, so she knows a thing or two. I enjoyed Quark thoroughly on Deep Space Nine, but bringing him on a ship would just be inviting trouble.
So there you have it, my personal Star Trek crew. Might not make for as entertaining a TV series without the drama brought on by people like Worf or B'elanna Torres, but this crew is getting work done. Post your responses in the comments!
Probably my favorite character on the show is Dr. Phlox. He's got that wisdom and compassion that you're always looking for out of each ship's (or station's) chief medical officer. So I got to thinking, is Phlox my favorite doctor from the whole Star Trek universe? Tough call, lots of good doctors out there. And of course, my line of thinking continued: who's my favorite chief engineer? My favorite first officer? And on, and on.
Well, I took the time and put together my "ultimate" Star Trek starship crew, and I invite you to do the same, if you're nerd enough. I recommend you use the same positions in the crew, to make it easier for us to argue. I gave myself a couple of rules:
- I could promote officers reasonably, but not demote them beyond where they'd ever appeared in their respective series. So I couldn't assign Benjamin Sisko to be a helmsman.
- If it made sense, I could move a crew member into a role they didn't exactly have in their show. An example would be Seven of Nine, whose role was "astrometrics," but might be well-suited for security or tactical roles.
- I could have a maximum of four members from any particular crew. For Worf and O'Brien, this would limit both TNG and DS9.
- In addition to standard crew members, I allotted one spot for "hospitality," accommodating the various bartenders/chefs from the Star Trek universe.
Not close. While some other officers might be solid choices, nobody matches the perfection of Picard's balance between diplomacy, intelligence, and guile. He's #1 on my list of captains, without question.
First Officer - William Riker, The Next Generation
I've always liked Riker, though some of that may just be the beard. The most important part of Riker's character, though, is that he's a good counterpoint to Picard. He's forceful, aggressive, and a bit reckless, and he challenges his captain in all the right ways. The dynamic between Picard and Riker is one of the best interplays in the whole Star Trek Universe.
Chief Engineer - Montgomery Scott, The Original Series
You can't watch three episodes of the original series without Scotty drawing "water from a stone," so to speak. He consistently manages to get the Enterprise to do things it shouldn't be able to do. Geordi La Forge seems equally capable, but the tie goes to the better accent.
Chief Medical Officer - The Doctor, Voyager
I liked Julian Bashir in Deep Space Nine, and Phlox on Enterprise, but the Emergency Medical Hologram from Voyager was unquestionably the most entertaining aspect of Star Trek Voyager, and that includes Jeri Ryan in a skintight suit. He was dry and funny, and added some of the "technical limitation" type stories to the series, similar to those involving Data in TNG.
Security Officer - Odo, Deep Space Nine
My initial selection here was Tuvok from Voyager. He's the law-and-order logical type I like. But despite not having any other Vulcans, my ship already had a pretty strong Vulcan feel to it. Picard is very methodical and logical, likewise with Data and The Doctor. Odo, while still fairly logical, is fueled a bit more by a passion for law enforcement, not just an implementation of the "most logical conclusions." Plus, I mean, changeling.
Science Officer - Data, The Next Generation
Data's actual position in TNG is "Chief Operations Officer," but that doesn't have a special ring to it. Also, outside of a few special guests, the Enterprise didn't have a true "Science Officer," and most scientific questions went through Data. Like Odo, his unique physical characteristics can be an asset to a crew, and he proved himself to be a dynamic officer throughout the series.
Helmsman - Travis Mayweather, Enterprise
Enterprise actually has a lot of second or third choices for me on this list. Phlox is awesome, Malcolm Reed is compelling, and Hoshi Sato seems extremely capable. Helmsman might be a less-than-glamorous position, but Mayweather does a great job at it. I like that he's a former freighter crewman, so he might know some deep space tricks, and he seems mature and dependable. The only guy who gets talked about as being possibly a better pilot is Tom Paris from Voyager, but he's a jackass, so Mayweather's my guy.
Counselor - Ezri Dax, Deep Space Nine
Something of an unconventional pick by me here. Ezri is a bit flighty, a bit emotional, and a bit uncertain. But she's got a wealth of experience with the Dax symbiont, and she's a refreshing change of pace from most of the rest of my stuffy crew. Plus she's cute.
Hospitality - Guinan, The Next Generation
While I wouldn't mind getting a little "hospitality" from Robin Lefler, that's not exactly her job. Guinan, throughout her time on Enterprise, offered fantastic advice and a friendly ear to anyone who needed it. Plus, she's been alive for like a thousand years or something, so she knows a thing or two. I enjoyed Quark thoroughly on Deep Space Nine, but bringing him on a ship would just be inviting trouble.
So there you have it, my personal Star Trek crew. Might not make for as entertaining a TV series without the drama brought on by people like Worf or B'elanna Torres, but this crew is getting work done. Post your responses in the comments!
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
Mega Man Magic Update
I promise I'm not ignoring the Mega Man Magic set upload. It turns out, Imgur only allows like 220 pictures to be uploaded to a free account. They obviously allow you to pay for more, but I'm debating on whether or not I want to do that, or post them myself somewhere else. In the end, I think I'll probably just get the upgrade, but I don't want Imgur to think I did it because they tricked me into it. Let 'em sweat it out.
Monday, June 16, 2014
Mega Man Magic - Spoiler 36
So here we are, the final spoiler for the Mega Man Magic set. And as is wisest, we'll go out with a bang.
The scene from the beginning of the game, with Mega Man atop a large skyscraper, overlooking the city he's about to protect. Perseverance is maybe the best word to describe Mega Man, so I'm pleased to have it represented in my set.
This set ended up with like three different clone-type cards, but each has its own little twist. This actually is probably just straight up worse than Clone, but at least it's flavorful. At least that.
This is another card that got some rare playtesting, and it turned out the card was way more powerful than I had anticipated. So I bumped the mana cost and the rarity. I may have overcompensated, but in a set with a looter and various other discard cards, this guy can do some work.
Ahh, the password. Kind of missing from today's gaming world, but in the old days, the password was your only chance to preserve your progress in difficult games. I'm happy with the flavor of this guy, though I have a hard time judging its power level in a vacuum. Hopefully it's not too far off.
Which leads us to our last card...
The final image from the game, or close to it. The last screen actually just has "Presented by Capcom U.S.A., but I needed Thank You for Playing on the screen for it to make sense. Anyways, big black swamp-based life drain. I'm on board with the card, even if I'd probably never play it.
So that's the end of the list. In a couple days, I'll link to an Imgur album with all of the cards posted, so you can browse through them at your convenience. And then it'll be on to the next project...as yet undetermined. I'll keep you in the loop, of course.
This set ended up with like three different clone-type cards, but each has its own little twist. This actually is probably just straight up worse than Clone, but at least it's flavorful. At least that.
This is another card that got some rare playtesting, and it turned out the card was way more powerful than I had anticipated. So I bumped the mana cost and the rarity. I may have overcompensated, but in a set with a looter and various other discard cards, this guy can do some work.
Ahh, the password. Kind of missing from today's gaming world, but in the old days, the password was your only chance to preserve your progress in difficult games. I'm happy with the flavor of this guy, though I have a hard time judging its power level in a vacuum. Hopefully it's not too far off.
Which leads us to our last card...
The final image from the game, or close to it. The last screen actually just has "Presented by Capcom U.S.A., but I needed Thank You for Playing on the screen for it to make sense. Anyways, big black swamp-based life drain. I'm on board with the card, even if I'd probably never play it.
So that's the end of the list. In a couple days, I'll link to an Imgur album with all of the cards posted, so you can browse through them at your convenience. And then it'll be on to the next project...as yet undetermined. I'll keep you in the loop, of course.
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