I just received a comp copy of Shapeshifters by Fedex last night, direct from the printer. It looks pretty good, except for a number of errata I'm going to have to send off to SJG. Some of those are probably my fault, but there are several which were clearly caused in-house: dropped words in heavily-edited passages, a couple internal cross-references to the the wrong pages, things like that. I'm still making my way through the final book, but overall I'm very pleased -- so far.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

too bad it's too new for the Walk
I see this as putting the subject (whether only Doug or by touch or ranged or whatever) into a trance state that stops them from getting any worse off than they already are (from shock, blood loss, etc) and possibly heals them... slowly. Once activated, the trance lasts until they are healed or some negation song/power is used - maybe Lita Ford's "Your Wakeup Call" suggested before? About the only line that doesn't directly fit this is the one about avoiding cliches, but perhaps as a side effect, the person never, EVER wakes up 'just in the nick of time...' Oh, I forgot the 'destroy my ego' bit. I dunno about that one, but it's not like Doug's metatalent hasn't skipped words that don't fit the theme before.
- CD

Madonna - Die Another Day
--------------------------
I'm gonna wake up, yes and no
I'm gonna kiss some part of
I'm gonna keep this secret
I'm gonna close my body
Guess, die another day
Guess, die another day
Guess, die another day
Guess, die another day
I guess I'll die another day
I guess I'll die another day
I guess I'll die another day
I guess I'll die another day
Analyze this
Analyze this
Analyze this...this...this...this...this...
I'm break the cycle
I'm gonna shake up the system
I'm gonna destroy my ego
I'm gonna close my body now
I think I'll find another way
There's so much more to know
I guess I'll die another day
It's not my time to go
For every sin I'll have to pay
I've come to work, I've come to play
I think I'll find another way
It's not my time to go
I'm gonna avoid the cliche
I'm gonna suspend my senses
I'm gonna delay my pressure
I'm gonna close my body now
I guess I'll die another day
I guess I'll just die another day
I guess I'll die another day
I guess I'll just die another day
I think I'll find another way
There's so much more to know
I guess I'll die another day
It's not my time to go
Uh
I guess I'll die another day
I guess I'll just die another day
I guess I'll die another day
I guess I'll just die another day
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

"Louie the Rune Soldier".
If only to spare poor Melissa's nerves.
-- Bob
(Edit: Spelling. Louie is a warrior, not a piece of melted lead and tin.)
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

Could you do me (and anyone else with a really big monitor who goes to your website) a big (pun intended!) favor? Widen your bacground image by at least 100 pixels of white on the right? at 1500p wide, I get a second green strip down the right as it tiles over... (Yes, I run 1600x1200 - I like a lot of screen real estate
Thanks bunches!
Offsides
Drunkard's Walk Forum Moderator and Prereader At Large

There's been a few suggestions for settings that might merit a scene or two as Doug interacts with the inhabitants, but not a full step. Well, I just thought of another: The Spelljammer setting from AD&D2E.
Specifically, I think he should pop in abourd a Gnomish Dreadnever, their five-year mission a Moby Dick-esque hunt for Furry Norman, the Giant Intelligent Phase Space Hamster of Ill Omen (and to seek out ideas and new grand inventions)... Mainly because I can't imagine a doubletake wild enough for his reaction to the traditional space hamster hunting chant (Spaham, spaham, SPAHAM, spaham, SPAHAMMITY SPAHAM! SPAHAMITY SPAHAM!) and the service anthem of the Gnomish Space Marines, the chorus of which was noted in a sidebar. A reconstruction of the entirety follows, thoguh the last verse is less than certain.
In the town where I was born
lived a gnome with a flying machine
and he told us of his life
in the Gnomish Space Marines
So we sailed into the sun
on flapping wings driven by steam
and we lived in Wildspace
in our gnomish sky machine
We're all part of the Gnomish Space Marines
Gnomish Space Marines
Gnomish Space Marines
We're all part of the Gnomish Space Marines
Gnomish Space Marines
Gnomish Space Marines
Lots of gnomes are here on board
building daily inventions galore
Hamsters replace steam today
(chorus)
DesignerofmanyingeniousdevicesforspeedcontrolnotrelyinguponvariationintherotationofSpaceHamsterwheels!
Full speed ahead, now!
Ready the Speciallymodifiedhighpenetrationautomaticallyrelaodingdualballistarequiringonlyonegnomeforoperation!
Aye aye, sir! Fire!
Workshop! Workshop!
As we live a life that's free
Every one of us (every gnome ingeniuslyinventiveandmechanicallybrilliant of us)
has all we need (has a completeexpandedtoolkitincludingmetalandwoodcraftingtoolsnottomentionstonecuttingandtextileequipmentavailableonrequestandaholdfullofpartsandmaterialsforalltoaccess--)
Phlogiston (--experimentscontinuewithfindingamethodtocontainthegasoutsideCrystalSpheresforuseasafuelorpropellantliketheKlik'lik'klakshipsdespite--)
and in the Spheres (--althoughsofarnomethodshavebeendeterminedforworkingwiththematerialcomposingthesesphereswhichsurround--)
in the Gnomish (--andofcoursenoonewouldeverwanttousesuchaphlogistonbombexceptforreallyevilpeopleofcoursebutitstheGnomishSpaceMarines'jobtobe--)
Space Marines (--andsowehavetobepreparedtomakesurethattheonlyoneslaughingoverthefallenremainsoffoesisusthoguhofcoursewewouldn'treallylaughunlesstheyhadsomefunnylastwordsbutthentheyprobablywouldn'thavebeen--)
(chorus)
(chorus)
(chorus)
(chorus)
(... chorus)
(poke the spoken-part gnome to remind him the song is over)
- CD
--
"Anko, what you do in your free time is your own choice. Use it wisely. And if you do not use it wisely, make sure you thoroughly enjoy whatever unwise thing you are doing." - HymnOfRagnorok as Orochimaru at SpaceBattles
woot Med. Eng., verb, 1st & 3rd pers. prsnt. sg. know, knows

The DW Gallery page has been updated with two new pieces by Dave Menard, who thanks to his incredible industry might as well be christened the official visual chronicler of DW and Warriors' World. Look for new images of both Hexe and Silverbolt, if you haven't already.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

The DW Gallery page has been updated with two new pieces by Dave Menard, who thanks to his incredible industry might as well be christened the official visual chronicler of DW and Warriors' World. Look for new images of both Hexe and Silverbolt, if you haven't already.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

Hey, long time for me to not post . . .

So anyway, I've decided that I wanted to try my hand at a Drunkard's Walk on the Macross 7. I thought *maybe* on the Macross or even during Macross Zero, but figured that not only are there enough happy-go-lucky-yet-serious-in-combat guys in both series, but also that the character interactions would be better.
Again, I am following the model laid-down in DWII, wherein a peripheral character would be the "in" for the rest of the cast, and here I have chosen Rex, the leader of the Macross 7's bike gang who follow Fire Bomber around. Rex and Doug's relationship is going to be platonic and only that. Rex is, at first, too hung up on Basara and then too used to thinking of Doug as "a guy I know, kind of a friend, i guess *scratch head in anime befuddlement*" to go with Doug. There'd be the sort of easy camaradery that having a common interest would bring in.
Doug, of course, has the primary super-hero duty of defending the citizens of the fleet from the attacks of the Proto-devlin, particularly the most powerful ones. Though he has some successful offensive encounters, he's mostly defensives since he can only go toe-to-toe with Syvil, and even then she could probably beat him in space. Frankly, I think that he'd serve better in a defensive mode, trying to limit the damage the fleets and big ships do. Also, he could try to break up the "vampires" that infiltrate the ship in the beginning of the series.
CHARACTER INTERACTIONS:
Basara and Doug: this is, frankly, an explosive combination. Despite his happy-go-lucky attitude, Doug (it seems to me) *enjoys* teaching and LECTURING. Whether it's magic, tactics, or other, Doug enjoys lecturing on subjects. And Basara would ever and always either a) ignore him, b) walk past him, or c) tell doug to shut up. Doug would probably, to my mind, make it seem as if basara's rejection of his expertise as unimportant, but he'd be really annoyed and after a while would not bother to hide it. Basara *never* listens to other people, always does what he thinks best, and is both surly and stubborn about doing it. The annoying thing for Doug, as it is for everyone else, is that Basara is so often right. Eventually they would come to a truce and even get along in a certain way.
Mylene and Doug: they have a much easier relationship. Doug falls into the big brother role easily, something that Mylene never had (as all of her many siblings are all sisters), but she does chafe at times at the "big" part sometimes. He teases her about her relationship with Basara and Gamlin, while trying to convince her mother that Mylene doesn't need to get married quite so early (big mistake.)
Vifidas and Doug: Uhh . . . next.
Ray and Doug: Ray and Doug get along as mostly equals. Both easy going men. Nothing new here.
Milia and Doug: Depending on which story direction I want, this could go any way. Certainly antagonistic on her part, particularly as it relates to Mylene and her engagment.
Gamlin and Doug: Much like his relationship with Basara, Gamlin is greatly annoyed by Doug's unauthorized interference with the defense of the Macross 7 fleet. Not sure where to go yet there . . . maybe Gamlin, Doug and Basara form a sort of spectrum of personality types. Speaking of which, one wonders how much Doug likes being the lone vigilante.
Now, I am arguing with myself about whether Doug's abilities should be revealed or not. It could lead to some interesting avenues in the story, but then again I may be treading the same waters. At any rate, the real question is what to do with Anima-Spiritia. Anima-Spiritia, or rather Song Energy, has been shown to be a great power source, energizes people and frees their minds from mind control, and in fact promotes the growth and health of plant life (and other life, presumably.) So how does Doug's powers interact with Song energy? Does his powers get super-charged or what? And what would happen if he was hit with a pure dose of Song Energy? Some things to think about.
So, suggestions, comments, discouragments, and answers to questions are all welcomed.
-murmur
obviously insane

...if I ever write it, that is. The following scene occured to me this morning. It has no context at the moment, although I know roughly where in the current embryonic plot it would go.
I really ought to share this with my prereaders first, but it's really not enough to bother them with.
Enjoy!
-- Bob
PS. Oh, and there's a semi-spoiler for a minor thing that happens in the remainder of DW2 here -- but it's nothing that a sharp reader wouldn't already be expecting as a matter of course.
---------------------
I pulled up to the balcony railing and let the cycle hover as I looked over at four teenagers in white military-style uniforms gathered around a wrought-iron table. They were deeply absorbed in whatever it was they were doing and had yet to notice me. I chuckled and keyed on the helmet PA system. Then I yelled "Excuse me!", more to get their attention than anything else, since the gravity drive on the cycle was, as always, all but silent.As one, four heads pivoted toward me, revealing four young facesin identical pop-eyed, mouths-open expressions of disbelief."I'm looking for Deputy Chairman Akio Ohtori," I continued, in somewhat softer tones. "Might any of you know where I could find him?"One of the four recovered enough to raise a hand and point shakily upward, toward the top of the tower.I mimed tipping a non-existent hat, shouted, "Thank you very much!"and gunned the vertical on the gravdrive. A glance below as I shot straight upwards confirmed that they were tracking my every movement.God, I love doing stuff like that to people.
-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

I've come up with a new idea for putting Doug in the Revolutionary Girl Utena universe that might work out. Inspired by Symphony of the Sword and a couple other fics, I'm planning on setting it after the end of the series -- but it's going to go in a slightly different direction (I hope).
I don't want to say any more at this time, though. When I get it more fully fleshed out, I'll send the plot to my prereaders for comment, and if they like it, maybe I'll tell a little more.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.