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DnD, Computers, etc etc
Pennyfreqs
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
So this is a thread consisting of multiple questions on various topics:
1. I live in Baton Rouge for college, and return to Houston for the summers, with frequent visits for holidays and such because it's so close. I used to have a great DnD group, but they eventually got fed up with my constant travelling and very nicely and understandably dropped me from the group. Finding a group that's half decent is hard as is, especially in Baton Rouge, so how would I go about finding one that would be okay with long-distance gaming? As described below.
2. I've seen on a webcomic and put forth the idea of using a webcam to participate in sessions when I'm not around to play in person. However, my previous group declined on the idea. What are other alternatives for long distance gaming that don't involve online play, e.g. Maptools and the such.
3. I've applied for a second job as an EA game tester in Baton Rouge, which I've had a successful call back for and should hopefully be getting hired in August sometime. Would it be a possible given that some of the people there may play DnD or other tabletop games? Some of you may suggest to go to the local gaming store to find new groups, but the there's only one, and it's very...nerdcore ridden. Full of rules lawyers and sticklers, not my type. When I DM, I LOVE bending and breaking the rules. One of my players needed gold and ended up prostituting himself out, literally. I also roll percentages on critical hits for lower level monsters to see if they just explode instead of getting dealt more damages.
4. Unrelated, I'm traveling in Europe. Since the first day I got here, my laptop has been freaking out. It works perfectly fine until I try and run a video, at which point every 15 minutes or so, regardless of if the video is playing or not, the computer will spaz out and lag to hell for about 5 minutes. A couple of times, it has gotten so bad as to incur the "display driver nvlddmkm stopped responding and has successfully recovered" thingy (the thing that no one knows how to solve, including Nvidia, TWO YEARS LATER). I disabled Aero and that stopped, but it's still lagging out majorly. Never done this before.
Core 2 Duo 2.0ghz 2.0gb RAM Nvidia 7900 Go GS
EDIT: Yes, I've clean installed new video drivers and cleaned the registry with CCleaner. Nothing changed. The only thing that only barely helped was disabling aero.
5. Also unrelated, does anyone know a good back work out, specifically for lats, that I can do in my hotel room with nothing available but one resistance band? It's killin me not being able to do back workouts.
1. I live in Baton Rouge for college, and return to Houston for the summers, with frequent visits for holidays and such because it's so close. I used to have a great DnD group, but they eventually got fed up with my constant travelling and very nicely and understandably dropped me from the group. Finding a group that's half decent is hard as is, especially in Baton Rouge, so how would I go about finding one that would be okay with long-distance gaming? As described below.
2. I've seen on a webcomic and put forth the idea of using a webcam to participate in sessions when I'm not around to play in person. However, my previous group declined on the idea. What are other alternatives for long distance gaming that don't involve online play, e.g. Maptools and the such.
3. I've applied for a second job as an EA game tester in Baton Rouge, which I've had a successful call back for and should hopefully be getting hired in August sometime. Would it be a possible given that some of the people there may play DnD or other tabletop games? Some of you may suggest to go to the local gaming store to find new groups, but the there's only one, and it's very...nerdcore ridden. Full of rules lawyers and sticklers, not my type. When I DM, I LOVE bending and breaking the rules. One of my players needed gold and ended up prostituting himself out, literally. I also roll percentages on critical hits for lower level monsters to see if they just explode instead of getting dealt more damages.
4. Unrelated, I'm traveling in Europe. Since the first day I got here, my laptop has been freaking out. It works perfectly fine until I try and run a video, at which point every 15 minutes or so, regardless of if the video is playing or not, the computer will spaz out and lag to hell for about 5 minutes. A couple of times, it has gotten so bad as to incur the "display driver nvlddmkm stopped responding and has successfully recovered" thingy (the thing that no one knows how to solve, including Nvidia, TWO YEARS LATER). I disabled Aero and that stopped, but it's still lagging out majorly. Never done this before.
Core 2 Duo 2.0ghz 2.0gb RAM Nvidia 7900 Go GS
EDIT: Yes, I've clean installed new video drivers and cleaned the registry with CCleaner. Nothing changed. The only thing that only barely helped was disabling aero.
5. Also unrelated, does anyone know a good back work out, specifically for lats, that I can do in my hotel room with nothing available but one resistance band? It's killin me not being able to do back workouts.
You don't have to be wrong for me to be right.
Pennyfreqs on
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Can't find in the rules where the bump restriction is. This will be the only one. Please tell me if you need more clarification to help answer my questions, I know I can get wordy. Wordy birdy.
But yeah, I really need help, especially with number 4. I can't do my work while I'm over here (animation) if my computer keeps smoking crack every quarter hour.
http://www.codecguide.com/download_kl.htm
If that doesn't work, I would recommend reinstalling your browser and maybe quicktime if that is what is giving you problems.
At this point, though, beggars can't be choosers.
4) More info needed: This has been going on for two years, or only since you went to Europe? What program/programs are you using for animation? Or is this only for playback (and what programs are you using for this?)
5) Inverted/ regular situps with your legs on the bed and your chest on the ground, wearing a backpack filled with all of your clothes was always a fun one when I traveled, though most larger hostels I visited (in England at least) had a fitness room available.
I don't see how I'm being picky...I offered up a solution with the webcam thing, and they said no. And yes, the reason they (politely) dropped me from the group was because we kept having to postpone sessions due to me being out of town and they wanted to play. It was pretty mutual, I was fine with it. And I'm not just out of town 2 months out of the year. 4 months for summer, a month for winter holidays, and various holidays in between like spring break and thanksgiving that I was gone. I would have stayed, but family > DnD. Hence why I suggested the long distance solution, but they declined.
I'll try to appeal to the nerdcore fellows (I use that term with complete endearment), I'm just referring to the guys who sometimes ruin sessions with their rules lawyering), and see how that pans out. In the meantime, however, any other alternatives.
Oh and I already have the Klite pack installed, but I'll reinstall and see if that works.
For the computer, like I said in the OP, the day I got to Europe, it started acting like this. That was July 2nd. Every 15 minutes since the moment I landed, it has been giving me this trouble. And as far as the programs, this trouble happens even when nothing is open. However, like I said, it gives me tons more trouble when I'm watching any kind of video, whether it be through MPC, WMP, Winamp, or streaming videos online on Youtube or Megavideo.
As far as the situps...I don't see how inverted situps would help my lats. As in latissimus dorsi. Back muscles. I've been doing these http://exercise.about.com/od/exerciseworkouts/ss/backexercises_8.htm but they aren't doing much. And I can't find any grippable place to do pull ups.
http://exercise.about.com/od/exerciseworkouts/ss/backexercises_6.htm
With your suitcase or backpack? Barring those, if you can pull out any drawers in whatever furniture might be available, they can serve as low weight alternatives. In general, there is usually something heavy you can sub as a dumbbell in most places. I used rocks/books/gravel/shoes and plastic shopping bags several times time (fairly easy to come across in most places). ~shrug~
Your laptop sounds like it might have a hardware issue, since your codecs and drivers are up to date and it's happening all the time regardless of program. Did you check it or was it a carry on? Did it bump and large magnets, hammers, ninjas?
Wow, can't believe I forgot dumbbell rows. Not ideal but definitely a good alternative to normal lat-pulldown-type of exercises. Thanks man.
As far as the laptop, I checked it in because I didn't want something to happen to it haha. It hasn't left my side since I left Houston. As far as I know, but I can't be 100%, no ninjas have infiltrated my perimeter. No idea about the magnets though...I'm fairly certain the xray machines and what have you at the airport are safe for laptops, and that's the only time it has come into contact with anything remotely dangerous as far as I'm aware.
Could it be a power supply problem, maybe something with the converter into the outlet that's causing it to stutter?
So just to finish off the DnD thing, since looking at it now...the situation is kind of random and I'll just have to figure it out myself...would you play with someone in that kind of out-of-town-a-lot situation if he were to buy webcams he could set up on both ends so he could still participate completely?
There are all sorts of games posted on forums that you can join and play in Maptools, so it would be easy to find a group to join if you went that direction.
I'm absolutely not against it. I've never fully played a game with it, but it sounds like it'd be a great tool for when everyone is kinda spread out. What I'm talking about more is--OpenRPG, that's the one I've used before--when a group usually plays in person and you get that face to face interaction, but then I go out of town and am unable to play in person. The group essentially refused to allow me interact via webcam and whatnot.
On an unrelated note...has anyone here ever played a game where you play as yourselves, either literally dropped into the DnD world or with the DnD monsters dropped into yours, kind of like d20 modern but with DnD classes and monsters? Edit: Wow...just realized that's exactly like the DnD cartoon. Haaaaaaaa
Oh and so far, after updating my K-lite to the newest version, I'm having no problems with stuttering or computer freezing. I'll update if anything happens.