AEGIS Open Meet

Last Saturday, I hitched a ride with Emp and went our way to the AEGIS Open Meet. We both didn't know where Residencia 8888 is, but we did know that Fred and EJ were already waiting for us there, and Les is on his way to meet us there, too.

After a hearty meal of Hotshots (Crispy Burgermelt), EJ told us that Mr. Mark Humphries was bigger than Emp! Hmm, the name Mark Humphries brings about the image of that Monopoly guy. Not someone bigger than Emp LOL! Mr. Humphries is the one who made the event happen IIRC.

We signed on the Residencia logbook and proceeded our way up. Penthouse (insert resounding ooohhh here). There was a small pool there, but we decided it was too shallow for an Ogre Splashbombing. Victor Cabazor (Force Vector on the Tabletopwars forum) met us at the door. We signed in (dami formality noh?) and were handed name IDs. Besides Vic and his better half, a reception lady (most probably one of Mr. Humphries' help) and Mr. Humphries, we were the first ones there! And the tables were too small! When the boyz met up with Arvin and Paul downstairs, Arvin agreed to fetch the tables from Hobby Haven (somewhere during this time, Jacob and Jake arrived, too).

After a short wait (and looking around the displayed board games there), we met with Arvin again downstairs and proceeded to haul a pair of half-inch thick 4x4 plywood boards up to the penthouse. Yeah the guards sent us out back towards the service elevators. Gelo, Justin and Dick arrived during this time.

Once the tables were set up, the boyz started playing. If I remember right, a Warhammer game and a Warmachine game were played at the same time side by side. I couldn't really recall the details because I was with a nearby table watching Bang! I believe Joel arrived during this time, too.

Well, after that it was all a whirlwind. Carlos Sandico arrived as well. I got to meet Brel, owner of the Tabletopwars forum, and got to see his Dungeoneer card game. I got to play Bang! I got to see the Navia Drapt game. I got to play Warmachine against Paul (he used Magnus this time). And the Boyz got to enjoy hearty laughs with the Bang! card game, too.

And as such, all good things must come to an end. We had to pack up and leave around 10pm. Les and Carlos stayed and enjoyed some more of the AEGIS Open Meet.

We capped the day with a very nice meal at Vivian's Da Orig Tapsihan! Man, they got good grub there! That will definitely NOT be the last time we go there LOL!

And finally I get to post pics of my Warmachine models this time! All photos courtesy of Brel:

Warmachine players that attended: 7
Warhammer players that attended: 4
Warmachine players that also play Warhammer: 7
Floors before reaching Residencia 8888 penthouse: 14
Females who actually played and weren't just there: 3
Females who played miniature wargames: 0
Hours spent at event: 8 (2pm to 10pm)
Bang! games played: 5
Bang! Beer cards played: Madami LOL!
Times being Bang! Sherrif: 3
Warmachine games played: 1
Confrontation games played: 0
Players with cap present: 1 (ako!)
Players with chain on wallet: 1 (ako!)
Hagibis present: 1 (si Jacob BWAHAHAHAHA!)

Civil War

I was only supposed to get Joe Madureira comics but then I got to chat with Jojo earlier. He was pitching about how good Marvel's Civil War is. And I must say, what an intriguing storyline!

The acts of superheroes have always been a point of contention. And by this time, it has all piled up over on top of each other that we all know it's soon gonna break. And because of a certain catastrophe caused by some superheroes, it was the last straw. The government was forced to submit all superheroes unto a registration, where they will be unmasked and be turned civil servants. Some superheroes are all for it. Some aren't. Whose side are you on?

Instead of my usual DOTA-lunchbreak, I got a cab and went to SM North Edsa and got me my own copy. I won't be getting all the other titles. Just this one. It's only seven issues. Maybe I can get the poster, too.

^_^

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In one of the discussion topics on the RHGC forum, some veterans have brought up the issue of the club's direction. Funny. My post's title seems very apt right about now.

I'll add on to this in the following days.

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On a totally different note, I finished my first crossword puzzle today. It was from the Philippine Star dated May 16, 2006. There were some technical outages earlier so I dug up the puzzle and went about answering it. I guess it's one of those "very easy"-level crossword puzzles, since I wasn't expecting on finishing it. Or maybe I'm just THAT old.

I've also started on Paul's Devil Dog. It's actually a Llaelese Gun Mage but he's using the model as a Devil Dog LOL!. I've also started on the Spriggan and the IFP Captain.

I'll also try putting in some work for my Khorne Daemonic Legion. Hopefully I can make the WFB GT this June.

There is nothing permanent in this world, except Change

I'm just settling in the new office and decided to blog the stuff in my head before they evaporate.

I'm now in a big room filled with a lot of people on the third floor of the Cabrera Building. As part of the ongoing renovations around GMA, the web-based News Team has been relocated here, with me included. Yeah, I don't handle any entertainment sites anymore. Truth be told, I'm a bit disheartened about it. I've tried reseraching on better Photoshop and Flash techniques that would complement the needs of GMA entertainment. I've bought many, many magazines of various media just so I'll be more flexible with different layouts. I am disheartened because all of that effort won't be realized in the news department. It's back to corporate basics for me here.

I'm also a bit disheartened as I'm now distanced even more with the people I am familiar and fond with. Just earlier, I went on my usual lunch trip with Nelz at the Food Bliss eatery at the corner. Bloody hell! I wouldn't mind the long walk, but at that heat!?! I won't be able to just get up and pass by Jio, or Jaemark, or Nelz, or Naz, or Odie, or Albert, or Kage, or Connie, or Marco, or Kyx. Heck, I won't even get to see the pretty faces of PDR anymore! Don't get me wrong, the people here at web news are right good people. Iba lang talaga yung nakasanayan mo for over a year then suddenly you get wrenched away. I know they're just a block away and I can visit them anytime I want, too. I'm just getting used to the vertigo of the realization that I'm here now.

Honestly, I was supposed to share a long table with some other person at the new setup. I was a bit insulted. I felt being downgraded. When I started at NMI, Ate Jo gave me my own table, with my own high-end PC, and my own WACOM. When I frequented going on overnight stays at work, I was given my own cushion (heck, I was sleeping hunched on my desk before that). And when this change being full-time with web news and being distanced from my friends, I expected no less. I was crushed when I asked Sir Joe, hoping that the setup was just temporary. It was a good thing I'm a dog. And a vocal dog at that. Like I said, I was supposed to share a long table with someone else. But I guess my small request was granted and I get to keep my table all to myself. I also get the small corner space where I can stash my boxes of unsorted junk (yeah, yeah, I'll get to those before Christmas, I promise).

The old Malayan bank near the GMA MRT station has been demolished. The old Scenarios studios have been demolished. The old Frat House is being demolished as I write this (that includes the trusty old CR that I guess I tolerate using). And soon the whole NMI household will be demolished. Lots of good memories. Too many good memories that I don't even mind the bad ones.

Yeah, too many good memories.

Old office spaces have come and gone. Old tasks have come and gone. Old friends have come and gone. Remembering all those good times make me sad. But yeah, I'd still wanna remember them.

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[Stolen from Raf's blog]

For Gamers Only!

Do you:

- remind yourself that you have 20 life? +++ Or 40. Depending on what deck you were using. Most of the time, as far as I can remember, I'm on single-digit life when I played LOL! (Magic the Gathering CCG)

- count your successes? +++ Better than getting botches, yeah? (Vampire the Masquerade RPG)

- love 20s, Fear ones? +++ Eto na ang... BHENTEEEEEEEHHHHH! (D20 Dungeons & Dragons)

- always untap your resources, check for upkeeps, and then draw your next bet before doing anything? +++ Automatic, like Raf. But haven't been automatic for years LOL (MTG)

- try to make your saves? +++ What kind of save? Fortitude, reflex or will? Paralysis, Poison and Death Magic? Rods, Staff or Wands? Petrification or Polymorph? Breath Weapons? Spells? I DM so I tell the guys to roll for their saves LOL (Dungeons and Dragons)

- avoid base contact? +++ Avoid? I play Khorne and Khador! Base contact is the way to go (or in WM's case, at best .5" away; Warhammer & Warmachine)

- move your dwarves forward? +++ Stunties' souls are long overdue in the Warp. Bloodletter make sure of that. (Warhammer)

- know in you're heart that Gifted plus Skilled isn't worth it? +++ Fallout LOL

- mind your facing? Getting flanked sucks. +++ HELL YEAH! (Warhammer Fantasy)

- guard your harvesters? +++ Undead Ghouls can defend themselves (WC3)

- move first, shoot and then assault? +++ I don't assault with Necrons LOL (Warhammer 40K)

- bunny hop? +++ Never learned it (Counterstrike)

- build as close to your resources first? +++ As best as my clumsy fingers can (RTS Warcraft and Starcraft)

- kill the pylons? +++ HELL YEAH! Unless you're Protoss LOL (Starcraft)

- try to find the best use of your focus and your fury? +++ Boost to hit, boost to damage (Warmachine and Hordes)

- rest your tallest finger on W, your thumb on the space bar, your ring finger on A, your pinkie on ctrl or shift, and your index on D, even while typing? +++ Hell yeah!!! LOL!!!

- resolve things Last in First Out? +++ Ganito pa rin pala LOL! (MTG)

Gamers Unite!

So Would You Even Care?

Women are such deceitful creatures, aren't they? You never know what they're thinking, as if what they say always have double-meanings.

Where you going for tommorrow? Where you going with that mask I found? And I feel, and I feel; When the dogs begin to smell her; Will she smell alone?

I come home, fucking tired and fucking depressed. I still make a goddamn effort to call you up then you have the goddamn NERVE to fucking blame me of shit I didn't do?!? What the fuck is that?

And I feel, so much depends on the weather. So is it raining in your bedroom? And I see, that these are the eyes of disarray. Would you even care?

Yeah, all this love and romance shit isn't all that it's hyped up to be. It's a lot of work, and you don't even have a fucking snort of a guarantee that you got the right one! They always have these hang-ups about you not having enough time, or always obssessing about details ~ but looking at that, it's always a damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don't situation. You respect her space, she'll say you're not paying enough attention; you constructively criticize her faults, she'll snap about being too tight-fisted.

And I feel that time's a wasted go. So where ya going to tommorrow? And I see that these are lies to come. Would you even care?

It's their job to piss you off, man. They'll keep you hanging, enticing you, by feigned sweetness, and maybe a romp in the sack, but that's only because they need something from you. Whether it's a wife, girlfriend or prostitute, it's all the same ~ you pay for them one way or another.

Love? It's cool to be in love, yeah?