Why I love DW II (and hate it):
I know, I know; the last bit is harsh. Maybe a bit too harsh. I'll get to my problems with DW II in a bit. But first, the fulsome praise.
The greatest strength of DW II is, of course, the main character, Doug Blackblood. He is, unlike so many of the Mary Sues and S.I.s, he's a fully realized character, for good or ill--mostly good, sometimes ill but always compelling. He's funny and smart and doesn't take himself too seriously and, above all else, he deals with his problems without getting so damn angsty about it. Doug's a fun guy.
The writing, too, is great. Madigan is actually coming off as a sympathetic character. And the plot is going in directions I would not have guessed at. It's surprising, innovative, respectful of the source material but not derivative (or at least not so derivative that you'd notice without squinting and being bitter and even then you'd have to make up most of it). The characters from the series are the characters from the series and the original characters fit in the world well. Character, plot, dialogue--all great. But it all goes back to Doug.
So why would i hate DW II?
Again, it's Doug.
Here's the "ill" part of Doug--he's surprisingly self-righteous. For someone who claims that no-one who's good can ever be comfortable with their "good-ness," he's amazingly high-handed, preachy, and arrogant in his supposed moral high ground. His attitude is just wrong-headed.
All this goes to the whole "Boomers as slaves" analogy. And I say analogy because I think it is so. Should I be this turned-off from a work that I otherwise enjoy just because Mr. Schroeck has a different interpretation of Boomers than I do?
Yes. Maybe I'm being unfair, but there it is. I was thrown way for a loop when Doug accused the Knight Sabers of being slave-wranglers or whatever it was.
Mostly, it was just because during the course of the canon, the Knight Sabers were never seen to destroy ANY boomer that wasn't a) out killing people, "rampaging" if you will and b) part of a scheme by some group, most of the time GENOM or Largo.
And this also has to do with the fact that I don't see Boomers as being enslaved (except of course for those poor 33-S boomers in space) mostly because they are not sentient (except for a few exceptions, and those jerky military boomers. Man, are they jerks. And I'd argue as to their "sentience" there, too). And I realize that this is a lot of exceptions, but 33-S's and experiments like Cynthia are exceptions to the rule, boomers built with sentience.
This wouldn't be so bad if Doug wasn't so darn high-handed about it. Based on my take on Doug from the previous chapters, I kept on expecting him to sit down and have a spirited philosophical debate with Sylia Stingray on Boomer intelligence and the morality of it all.
I guess it just seems to me that this "conflict" was done simply to have Doug and the Knight Sabers fight. And I realize that Doug is from a super-hero inspired world, where conflict resolution and moral decisions are made in a giant fight. It just seems distasteful, and it lessens the Knight Sabers but it mostly just makes Doug into a badly preachy character, somewhat cliched and just not smart. It lessened Doug more than it did the KS and just seems so cliche. So . . . Mary Sue.
But maybe I'm wrong. Maybe Doug's wrong. Maybe he's going to get his well-deserved comeupance soon. Maybe this was all done to show how Doug isn't perfect.
Or maybe it wasn't.
Could Mr. Shroeck have a different interpretation of Boomers and as such has his character do what is the right and noble thing and I should just accept it? Maybe. That doesn't mean that I have to like it.
But that doesn't mean that I'll stop reading, either, nor stop loving the things I love about DW II. And hating the things I hate about it, too.
So until Doug stumbles into the Telletubbies world, make mine DW.

Surrender By Cheap Trick
lyrics- www.cheaptrick.com/surrendr.html
though 'surrender is repeated and is the tittle of this song I'm not sure what this songs actions would actually be. Since it's not my call on what happens when a song plays I guess I'm in the clear.

I've been wondering about this song for a couple weeks. I've been trying to think of possible effects...but given the lyrics and song topic, it seems one that should be done in MegaTokyo at least once (though I know you said elsewhere that the songs are pretty much set already, Bob - just thought this one needed mentioned, even if you don't use it). The lyrics are below - what do you guys think?
Mr. Roboto - Styx
(Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto)
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto,
Mata ah-oo hima de
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto,
Himitsu wo shiri tai
You're wondering who I am-
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)
machine or mannequin
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)
With parts made in Japan,
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)
I am the mod-ren man
I've got a secret
I've been hiding
under my skin.
My heart is human,
my blood is boiling,
my brain I.B.M.
So if you see me
acting strangely,
don't be surprised.
I'm just a man who
needed someone,
and somewhere to hide
To keep me alive-
just keep me alive.
Somewhere to hide
to keep me alive.
I'm not a robot
without emotions-
I'm not what you see.
I've come to help you
with your problems,
so we can be free.
I'm not a hero,
I'm not a saviour,
forget what you know
I'm just a man whose
circumstances
went beyond his control
Beyond my control--
we all need control--
I need control--
we all need control--
I am the modern man,
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)
who hides behind a mask
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)
So no one else can see
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)
my true identity.
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto, domo (domo) domo (domo)
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto, domo (domo) domo (domo)
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto,
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto,
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto,
Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto.
Thank you very much, oh Mr. Roboto
For doing the jobs that nobody wants to
And thank you very much, oh Mr. Roboto
For helping me escape just when I needed to
Thank you-
thank you, thank you
I want to thank you,
please, thank you
The problem's plain to see:
too much technology.
Machines to save our lives.
Machines dehumanize.
The time has come at last,
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)
To throw away this mask
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)
Now everyone can see,
(Secret secret, I've got a secret)
My true identity...
I'm Kilroy! Kilroy! Kilroy! Kilroy.

Given what Loon's trying to do in the BGC universe, this song just seems WAY too appropriate somehow....yes?

I need a little help for a section I'm adding at the last minute, thanks to a playtester request. Can anyone think of some superhero/supervillain shapeshifters? I wracked my brain today at work and came up with the following list; can anyone add any more?
Morphs
Martian Manhunter (DC)
Skrulls (Marvel)
Metamorpho (DC)
A female counterpart to Metamorpho whose name I can't remember (DC)
Chameleon Boy (DC)
Chameleon King (DC)
Warlock (Marvel)
Mystique (Marvel)
Changeling (aka Beast Boy) (DC)
Plastic Man (sorta) (DC)
Loki (Marvel)
The Dial-H-For-Hero kids (DC)
Impossible Man (Marvel)
The Wonder Twits, I mean Twins (DC)
If I remember correctly, one of the several Clayfaces DC came up with was also a morph, right?
Transformers
(Not as in robots, but as in they power up into a new form to become heroes)
Captain Marvel and the Marvel Family (Fawcett, later DC)
Sailor Moon
Thor (Marvel)
Beta Ray Bill (Marvel)
Wonder Woman (TV version) (DC)
Firestorm (DC)
Miracleman
Silver-Age Jimmy Olsen, every once in a while (DC)
Weres
The Incredible Hulk (Marvel)
The Lizard (Marvel)
The Man-Bat? (DC)
That can't be all of them. Ideas, anyone? Thanks!

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

Xenogears is a playstation game released in 1998. Now before you disregard this idea because you don't play Playstation please at least read the script of the game. It was created by Sheamon and in all is more than 800k of text.
Scipt for disk one is here- db.gamefaqs.com/console/p...disc_1.txt
for disk two- db.gamefaqs.com/console/p...disc_2.txt
The plot for Xenogears is hard to explain since the character you play is supposed to be kept in the dark about what really is happening in his world (that, and since he's schizo he doesn't remeber a lot of his past which is 10,000 years worth of info). My two major wants to see that Doug goes to this world are these: The gears(mecha) in this game have ether(magic) enhancing machines which allow the contorllers of the gears to cast stronger spells while fighting in the gears, the whole populace that live on the ground have been tricked into being divided and fighting a war with each other for the few hundred years so that the battle data can be used by Solaris(a floating, hidden city). The people on the land are also kidnapped, brainwashed, and turned into slaves for Solaris intill they die witch they are then made into food and medicine for the general populace.
The script for Xenogears will not be as good as the game since the script doesn't do a good job discripebing the visual parts of the game.
Here's a site with pitures of the game- www.rpgfan.com/pics/xenogears/index.html
Official web site- www.squaresoft.com/web/games/xenogears/

10 days...

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

As noted in the announcement in "General DW Chatter", I've spun the DW main page's gallery off into its own page. I've also added a couple new pieces of artwork, courtesy of Dave Menard.

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

Back around October 2002, I asked fan artist/author Dave Menard if he would do a "set piece" illustration for chapter 12 of Drunkard's Walk II. He agreed, and went to work on it.
He hasn't finished it yet, but in the mean time, he's been sending me extra bonus images. This has prompted me to finally spin the gallery section of the DW main page off into its own page. So, now for your enjoyment, I announce the new Drunkard's Walk gallery page, featuring new images of Hexe and Kat!

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

Final draft for Shapeshifters is Friday 31 January. If I seem a bit scarce around here, that's why.
Just wanted to let folks know.

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

Hey there. In going through your various quote files on God, I noticed that you are missing one of the classics, here repeated for your benefit.
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"Cleanliness isn't next to Godliness! Goggles is next to Godliness! Cleanliness is next to Claustrophobia and Cleavage!"
-Gallagher
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-Logan
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Legolas - Obviously an Elvish word meaning "Gatling Gun".
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