Flying Cars
In the late 19th century, the automobile was invented. Early in the 20th, humanity discovered powered flight. In the century since, the quest to combine these two primary modes of travel has been the holy grail of personal transport. We’re getting closer. A company...
Starfarers of Catan
It’s no exaggeration to say that when Settlers of Catan came on the scene in 1995, it changed board gaming worldwide. The randomized board and resources gave it great replayability, and with the simple worker placement and scoring, it became an ideal...
Year 11 of My 5-10 Year Overnight Success Plan
Some of you (the clever ones), may note a Curious Math Situation right in the title of this year's update. The cynics among you will further observe that my beginning-of-year update is coming in April. But we'll start right off with the elephant in the room, and I...
Snitched on Me, a very Ramsey Christmas Song
by Jamie Ramsey (age 12) I sold a guy some stolen stim; somebody snitched on me.I broke a bully’s nose and chin; somebody snitched on me.I cut off almost all my hair, kissed an azrin on a dare,Shot holes just ’bout everywhere; somebody snitched on me. I'm gettin'...
The Holiday Special that wasn’t…(and won’t be)
For people reading the J.S. Morin emails, you might know we've been playing with Midjourney a lot lately. And we finally started trying to create some of the Black Ocean xenos. When you create an image with a prompt, there's always a "reroll" button that basically...
A Prequel to a Sci-Fi Classic (With Apes)
Back in 2011, someone had the bright idea to trample on the grave of science fiction classic, Planet of the Apes. The Charlton Heston original featured an astronaut landing on a strange planet inhabited by apes who spoke English for some reason. Long story short, due...
Hearthstone: A Mobile/PC Powerhouse of a Game
Hearthstone isn’t news. It’s an offshoot of the world’s most famous MMORPG and it’s been around in its own right since 2014. But it’s notable for a few factors that distinguish it among computer games. First off, there is a tonal shift from its core material. At the...
Off-brand gods: When an Idea is So Bad That It’s…Bad
So, sometimes a funny idea pops into your head. That’s fine. It’s ok to laugh at it, maybe share it with whoever is closest, and simply move on. Less helpful is writing it down in a list of potential story ideas where it will mock you every time to scan past it, a...
The End of Backbreaking Labor
Job posting from 2040: Entry level construction job Will be supervising 20 employees No physical limitations You’ll be building bridges and skyscrapers, paving roads and digging canals. In your grandparents’ day, a hundred men would be out there, sweating and...
Honor Among Thieves: THIS is how you make a D&D movie
Fantasy movies have had a rough history in Hollywood. Cheesy special effects, ren faire level costumes, and dialogue that sounds like a high-school dropout’s take on Shakespeare plagues these offerings. Plots tended to be very basic, but that’s never really hurt a...