UPDATE:This contest is now closed. Thanks for participating!

As a gamemaster, one of the most unwieldy things there is to do is to constantly keep track of all the players and NPCs and their initiative. Depending on the situation, it can change a lot. We’ve used computer programs written in HTML to try to streamline it, and apps for the iPad. I’ve used good old fashioned pen and paper, small dry erase boards, you name it and I’ve tried to use it to streamline initiative tracking to keep the game moving more quickly.

But now I have something that will do the job efficiently and I’m not sure I’ll ever need another tool to do it again.

Paizo put together this combat pad to deal with the situation. It’s dry-erase, it’s magnetic, and it has printed on it all the lines and guides one would need to run this as smoothly as possible.

That alone would be helpful enough, but they also printed dry-erase magnets with arrows that you can use to shift around names and into different columns, meaning you’re not going to spend all that time erasing and rewriting everyone’s name. It’s seriously the easiest thing in the world to use and keep track of in a way that everyone knows what is going on with ease.

I love it.

It seems like all of the products Paizo is putting out for Pathfinder are designed by gamers for gamers, and they all understand what to do to make the game run smoother so you can focus on story and fun rather than mandatory mechanics.

And, to that end, we’ve teamed up with Paizo to make some of your lives easier.

We’re giving away 3 Pathfinder Combat Pads to 3 lucky readers  through Big Shiny Robot! and entering the contest couldn’t be easier.  All you have to do is send me an email (editor (at) bigshinyrobot (dot) com) with the subject line “I LOVE PATHFINDER!” If you want extra chances to win, spread it around on your Facebook and Twitter and tag our accounts (@bigshinyrobot and www.facebook.com/bigshinyrobot) and let me know you’ve done so.

This contest closes Wednesday, August 7, 2013!

If you decide you want to just go ahead and buy it, you can get it from Paizo. And be sure to read our regular column on roleplaying called “The Gamemaster!“ 

(Though we’d love to hear from everyone, we can only ship to the United States.)

As I’m sure everyone has heard, Foodles is potentially the codename of the production company working on Star Wars: Episode VII.

Now, Big Shiny Robot! learned exclusively that shooting isn’t going to begin this month, but the Foodles information was not addressed by Lucasfilm. Why in the world would they comment about their top secret codename if it was true, and why would they bother if it was something a fan made up?

And, in the long run, it really doesn’t matter to me what the production is called as long as it’s working hard to give me the best Star Wars movie possible.

But my curiosity was piqued when I received this link in an email. You can click it, but this is basically where you’re taken:

That’s a google map that takes you to 3118 Kerner Ave. in San Rafael, California. And yes, that appears to be a restaurant of some sort named Foodles.

That’s not that big of a coincidence, right? I’m sure there are a thousand things called Foodles.

But… wait a second now… Look at the street address on the Google Street View. 3118… that sounds an awful lot like 1138. But that could just be a coincidence, right?

Well, then I started to think about everything else going on in that picture. Kerner… Kerner…

And then I remember that Kerner Optical used to be the front company for Industrial Light and Magic. Their old front door is hanging up at ILM’s Presidio facility. So I looked up Kerner Optical on Wikipedia and found that their address was at 3160 Kerner Ave… And that is only two clicks further down the street on the Google Map. George Lucas once told the New York Times the name Kerner was a “deception designed to keep kids from rummaging through garbage bins.”

And here we have evidence of another front? The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that Foodles has been traced back directly to LFL by Jedi News. Could this be one more piece of the puzzle? Is this some sort of massive coincidence? Or did the ILM guys have a hand in choosing the name Foodles?

I have no idea.

But what I do know is that this is damn fascinating, and an amazing coincidence if that’s all it is.

(Image sources: The Trooper came from the 501st Facebook page. The other photos are from Google Street View.)

Earlier this week it was announced that Barry Allen will be bringing some superpowered action to Starling City on the CW’s Arrow.

CW President, Mark Pedowitz, confirmed the news on Tuesday:

“We’ll introduce a recurring character [on Arrow] and an origin story for Dr. Barry Allen, who you know as The Flash.”

Geoff Johns will be working with the co-creators and executive producers of Arrow, Andrew Kreisberg and Greg Berlanti, to bring The Flash to the show for two episodes around the middle of the season, then one again towards the end – which will serve as the “pilot” for The Flash’s own series on the same network. The hope is to use The Flash to bring the first glimmer of superpowers to Starling City, a concept the show has thus far avoided entirely.

“Part of the hope with Barry is to start to introduce powers into our universe,” Berlanti told us today when asked if, as we imagine, The Flash would mark the first wave of actual superpowers on Arrow. Johns and Kreisberg were on hand for a conference call this afternoon where they confirmed that there would be no workaround; and that the character would retain his superhuman abilities. “He does need powers; and he will be The Flash,” assured Johns.

If you haven’t bothered to watch Arrow, I can’t blame you. It airs on the CW, which is more known for the likes of Gossip Girl and the 90210 remake/sequel series – but I assure you, you should be watching it. I was skeptical at first – I’m not a huge Green Arrow fan, and while I enjoyed Smallville, the series was rocky at best as far as a Superman series goes. However, after watching the first season of the show, I am now a fan. While each episode had it’s own story to tell, each episode also continued to build momentum for the season-long story arc which was really great. The acting is far and away better than what we usually get on this network, and the creators do a really good job at giving the geeks out there nods to the larger DC Universe. Each episode has plenty of action and drama, but doesn’t pander to their typical demographic as they usually do by laying it on thick with the romance – don’t get me wrong, there is some romantic drama, but it’s not the main point of the show. Oh, and the flashbacks we get each episode about Oliver’s time spent on the island in which he became proficient with the bow an arrow? Some of the best parts of the show and utterly awesome. Overall, I dare say that this is one of the best superhero shows we’ve had on TV in a long time.

What’s interesting though, is that through the entire first season Arrow shyed away from anything superhero-related; for instance, Count Vertigo was a drug lord slinging the drug “Vertigo” that had the same effects that the villain can affect people with in the comics. It may sound goofy and predictable, but it worked for this show and produced an interesting, multi-episode arc. With the introduction of Barry Allen as The Flash however, it looks like that is all about to change. Berlanti and Kreisberg have noted that The Flash will absolutely have superpowers, and that Oliver Queen and company will react accordingly as superpowers are slowly integrated into the show – hopefully meaning that after one exposure to superpowers that the entire cast of characters aren’t suddenly just acting like this is a normal thing. The co-creators also said that The Flash will actually be called The Flash and not go by some weird code name and wear red and gold track suits (I’m looking at you,Smallville!).

Fans of The Flash may be nervous, but as a fan of Arrow, I couldn’t be more excited. I think Barry Allen is a great character to introduce superpowers into the DC television world as it is currently established; he’s generally got a fun personality to play with, and while his powers are certainly extraordinary, I’m glad the producers and creators aren’t just making the jump from no superpowers to flying, heat-vision, etc. Running really really fast seems to be a good ground-level for them to enter in on. As if I wasn’t excited for the second season of Arrow as it is, the inclusion of another big name in the DC roster of heroes pushed me over the edge – and I can’t wait to see what’s in store as The Flash spins-off into his own series.

For those of you that feel that the DC cinematic universe is really struggling, I encourage you to check out what the CW is doing with these characters on television. The second season of Arrow premiers on Wednesday, October 9 on the CW.

You can check out everything Johns, Kreisberg and Berlanti had so say about this announcement over at IGN.

You can follow Arse-bot and all the pointless thoughts he puts out into the interwebs on Twitter @Arse_bot

UPDATE: I talked to a Lucasfilm spokesperson who didn’t comment on the codename, but did say that during her Q and A at Star Wars Celebration: Europe, Kathy Kennedy said that the new Star Wars film wouldn’t shoot until next year. “Nothing has changed.”

So, there you have it. The official word from Lucasfilm is still next year.

Is Episode VII shooting a lot sooner than we thought?

According to a report from Jedi News, an inside source is telling them that Episode VII is actually going into production next month, which is ahead of the January 2014 dates we’ve been hearing.

From their report:

Further to this we understand that the film has been in pre-production at Pinewood Studios for three and a half months in advance of an August 2013 shooting date. We hear they have block booked the studios for 10 years and that construction of offices and facilities on-site is underway. Also storage space is being located in the local area.

It’s not impossible.

This movie has been in the works for a very long time and a lot of this ground work has been going on since before JJ Abrams came on board. And if there’s a producer that can force a good film to come out on time on an accelerated schedule, it’s someone as seasoned as Kathleen Kennedy.

The other thing that’s very interesting in the report is the code name for the production company. Blue Harvest certainly sounds a lot cooler than “Foodles.” But let’s be honest. Foodles is a lot more unassuming.

Again, this is all rumour and speculation, so take it all with a grain of salt.

This Month’s Podcast Features:

Zombietron (Tom), Kill-tacular-tron (Lucas), Arse-Bot (Tyson), Mexicus Prime (Jimmy), and guests, Swank-mo-tron (Bryan) and  Big Bearded Ben Holder!

This month’s Big Shiny Podcast is a giant-sized San Diego Comic Con special! We have Swank-mo-tron with us who was on the ground floor for Big Shiny Robot! during all the major announcements and he is with us for this month’s ‘cast to give us the low-down on all the awesomeness!

Also with us this month is our three-peat guest, Big Ben, who joins us to talk about Man of Steel and the prospects of a Batman/Superman sequel!

Click the links below and join us as we chat all about San Diego Comic Con,Man of Steel, The Wolverine, EVO, and all the current geek news and goings-ons you can handle!

Be sure to check out Big Shiny Robot’s newly-launched Twitch page in which Zombietron and Triscuit of Doom have all sorts of video gamey goodness for you to check out! Also, be sure to check out the Full of Sith Podcast that our own Swank-mo-tron co-hosts for more Star Wars news and interviews than you can handle!

Thanks for listening and watch for a new episode every month! If you like what you hear, rate the Big Shiny Robot Podcast Family on iTunes!

Listen:

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Perhaps one of the most surprising stories to come out of Star Wars Celebration: Europe was from Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill. It wasn’t anything Episode VII related, which would have been almost expected, but it had to do with The Clone Wars.

According to The Star Wars Underworld twitter:

BREAKING: Mark reveals that he had a part in Clone Wars! Reveals it was Darth something. Doesnt know if it will be seen #StarWarsCelebration

— Star Wars Underworld (@TheSWU) July 28, 2013

Mark Hamill was to voice “Darth something” for The Clone Wars.

Now, there were also rumblings of Filoni for an arc with Yoda and a Sith Temple and that could have proved to be the spot for this Sith Lord Hamill had voiced. But there’s also the Order 66 arc as well, and perhaps Master Sifo-dyas could have had something to do with the Sith… That whole issue hasn’t been resolved at all.

There’s still no guarantee we’ll see everything, though Pablo Hidalgo, over the Celebration weekend, gave hints that they’re looking to release as much of it as possible and thinking “outside the box” to do so, even considering releasing episodes in rough animation form. Kevin Kiner, composer for the show, told Full of Sith that he was working on scoring about 10 more episodes of bonus content, but gave no indication as to how many he’d already done.

There are a number of story arcs we know about and a number that we know exists but we know little about.

There’s been no indication whatsoever about when we might see any of these arcs.

But Mark Hamill on The Clone Wars is an idea that thrills me. Not just because he’s Luke Skywalker, but because his voice-over work is legendary and anything he’d do in the animated world, particularly under the guidance of Filoni, would be masterful.

Let’s just cross our fingers and hope we’re able to see it.

Announced this morning the Clash in the Clouds DLC is rolling out today for all consoles. It is available on Xbox Live right now and should be hitting PSN and Steam later today. The endurance style battle grounds with new medals and achievements looks like a lot of fun. I’m not one for challenge maps, so I think my first pick up is going to be the Burial at Sea expansion, but this is still something to keep your Bioshock fresh. Trailer here.

The trailer for Burial at Sea was also released by Irrational Games via twitter this morning. Burial at Sea is part of the Season Pass for Bioshock Infinite, sending you back to Rapture to meet what seems to be a different version of Booker and Elizabeth. I better find some Steam credit right away.

I’ve long been a fan of the Warhammer 40k universe, and the Space Hulk games in particular. I absolutely adore the old PC version of the game and it gave me nightmares (in all the best ways.) For those who don’t know, Space Hulk is very much like the best parts of James Cameron’s Aliens. You command a squad of Space Marines, lurking through dark hallways in spacecraft across the galaxy, trying to kill Genestealers and Tyrannid.

When I first saw that there was a card game based on that concept, I was skeptical. I found it in my search to find something that resembled the Space Hulk video game in board game fashion. Since I’m not usually one for card games, I assumed this might not be the best use of my money, but since the price point for Death Angel was so low, I figured, “What the hell?”

I’m incredibly glad I dropped the money on the game, though it took me some time to get there.

The game isn’t like a traditional card game, the cards are really the pieces set up like a board. You move from location to location, clearing dark corners and corridors of genestealers. The game is co-op and you, along with your Space Marine brethren have to work on a combined strategy that will keep you alive and allow you to eventually win the day. This isn’t an easy game in the sense that you’ll win every time. No. You’ll die. A lot. Your marines can start dropping like flies with some bad card pulls, and it creates a tension that’s hard to describe.

It takes a couple of times playing the game to really get the mechanics smoothly in the minds of all the players so you have a competitive, strategic game, but once you’ve hit that stride, there’s not stopping you. The game is easy enough, after that initial learning period, that I can play it with ease with my friends and peers, and my 11 year old son can play with us with no trouble at all and it doesn’t feel like we have to play down to him.

There are a variety of card decks that fill different functions (Marines, bad guys, events, locations, etc.) and they’re laid out in a formation that simulates the combat of being in a corridor fighting these things off. It gets incredibly intense, especially the further into the game you get. More and more genestealers swarm you and living seems like a daunting process. Each different duo of Space Marines have their own special abilities that you have to manipulate to the maximum in order to survive long enough to win the game.

I’d played this game a bit, liked it, and put it on my shelf for a while. Then, a few weeks ago, I pulled it back down and played with some friends. And it infected my brain a little bit. And then I played it some more with some other friends. And again. And again. And again. I played with just my son and I a few times, and with him and his friends. It’s infectious, truly, and that’s part of what makes it a great game.

It has almost limitless possibilities, so no game plays the same twice. It’s challenging, but not to the point of being disliked. It’s fun, even when you’re losing. And since you can play with any number of people, from solitaire missions to six people, it makes it perfect for any game party situation.

On some level, I’d prefer to have a board and actual Space Marine and genestealer figures and map out strategy on a map like Fantasy Flight Games like Descent, but I understand that might be cost prohibitive. You can find this game for less than $20. Adding in all the figures you’d need would put it well over two or three (maybe four?) times that. With the cards, you’re able to set up and play faster and at a lower price point.

Do I hope they expand this into a more complete board game? Yes.

Am I happy with what they’ve given me? Absolutely. The art on the cards is gorgeous. The cards themselves are of a very high quality. The game play and mechanics are top notch, and I’d expect nothing less of the Fantasy Flight crew.

In fact, since becoming invigorated on this game, I’ve bought every expansion and found them ALL worth the money.

Bottom line: if you’re a fan of Warhammer 40k and well-put together cooperative games, they don’t get much easier or fun than this. Yes, you’ll die a lot, but that’s part of the fun. I’m giving this a high recommendation and I’m dying to see what else FFG has done with the Warhammer license.

You can snag it from Amazon for less than $20.

And if you’re up for a game, you know how to get a hold of me.

UPDATE: I’m aware of the board game. I’ve looked for it in plenty of places. It’s out of print and preposterously expensive. I’d love to see this in miniatures format like Descent, like I said.

Perhaps the biggest reason I wish I could have been at Celebration: Europe in Germany is the panel for Rebels. Since it’s replacing a show as good as The Clone Wars as the television representation of a galaxy far, far away.

I’ve talked many times to Dave Filoni and had a moment to talk to Greg Weisman at Denver Comic-Con and I have no doubt that they are the right team to be putting this together. With Simon Kinberg consulting and a genius like Joel Aron behind them, there’s really no way I can see that this show won’t blow us all away.

They released to the public a logo and some more images about the show.

I can’t say that I’m anything but excited. And it looks like they’re working to perfectly capture the feeling of Ralph McQuarrie.

Here’s the official press release:

Star Wars Rebels Executive Producer Dave Filoni pulled back the curtain on Lucasfilm’s highly anticipated animated series for Star Wars Celebration Europe attendees today, discussing the huge influence of original Star Wars concept artist Ralph McQuarrie on the look and feel of the show, and revealing the series’ unique logo and select designs. Filoni talked at length about the use of McQuarrie art as a springboard for the series, showcasing many works from the original trilogy, including landscapes and characters, and detailing how they inform the visual identity of Star Wars Rebels.

While unable to attend in person, Executive Producers Simon Kinberg and Greg Weisman shared their excitement for the series in a video message recorded specifically for Celebration attendees.

Star Wars Rebels is scheduled to premiere in fall 2014 as a one-hour special telecast on Disney Channel, and will be followed by a series on Disney XD channels around the world.

For more information about the Star Wars Rebels panel at Celebration Europe 2, visit www.starwars.com

Be sure to listen to Full of Sith for the best in Star Wars news and discussions.

Last Friday  at San Diego Comic-Con, a few thousand lucky people were able to pack themselves into Ballroom 20 to witness the first panel for Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Moderating the panel was Marvel’s head of television Jeph Loeb. He welcomed everyone to the panel, then introduced the cast to the public. Last to be come out to a deafening roar from those in attendance were Clark Gregg and Joss Whedon.  We then jumped right into a Q&A. The first question was from a kid wanting to know if we’ll see any of the other heroes from the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the show. The panel couldn’t answer that right now. The next question was if we would see Deadpool anytime soon. And the answer, due to 20th Century Fox owning the film rights to him, is probably not. The last question that was asked was for Joss. He was asked if we could see a clip. Joss replied that legally Disney’s lawyers said they couldn’t show us a clip… They’d show us the entire episode!

This next bit will be a light review/synopsis of the first part of the show, be warned there are spoilers!

The show starts out with a kid with his father, played by J August Richards,  looking into the window of a toy store. The toys he’s looking at are of the Avengers, so this is definitely after the Avengers movie. There is an explosion at a nearby building and his dad runs in to save anyone he can from the fire. Moments pass and we see him jump out of the window with a survivor in his arms. He’s obviously super powered and doesn’t want anyone to know so he puts the hood on his sweatshirt up and disappears into the crowd.

We then move to a scene introducing us to Agent Grant Ward, played by Brett Dalton. He is a black ops type agent and one that prefers to work alone. We see the kind of bad ass he is as he beats the crap out of some bad guys, then gets airlifted out and goes back to S.H.I.E.L.D. headquarters. We then cut to  Agent Ward talking to someone about what S.H.I.E.L.D. stands for and their purpose. That person turns out to be none other than a returning Cobie Smulders as Maria Hill. She tells him that Coulson wants to build a team of the best and brightest S.H.I.E.L.D. has to offer to specifically take care of super powered individuals. Grant brings up the fact that he knows  Coulson is dead because he is  clearance level 6. Phil Coulson steps out of the shadows and welcomes him to level 7. Coulson tells us that he stopped breathing for 40 seconds after his encounter with the “Asgardian Mussolini” and that Fury sent him to Tahiti for a few weeks to recover. Coulson leaves and a S.H.I.E.L.D. doctor, played by Ron Glass from Firefly, approaches Maria Hill and says “He still doesn’t know does he?” To which she responds “he can never know.”

From here we get to meet the rest of the cast as they build their team to hunt down the super powered hero from the beginning. There are Agents Leo Fitz and Jemma Simmons, played by Iain De Caestecker and Elizabeth Henstridge. These two are your tech and science people. Next up is Agent Melinda May, played by Ming-Na Wen. She reluctantly joins the team, serving only as the “Pilot”, but has a mysterious past. By the end of the episode you find out the she one of the most ass kicking-ist agents S.H.I.E.L.D. has to offer. The last recruit also joins up reluctantly. Skye, played by Chloe Bennett, is a computer hacker that works for a group called “The Rising Tide” whose sole purpose is to expose S.H.I.E.L.D. By the end of the episode she is convinced that S.H.I.E.L.D. may not be so bad and joins them as their computer tech/hacker.

I won’t go into much detail about the rest of the pilot as I want to save some of the surprise, but it definitely has a tie to the other Marvel films including a BIG tie to Iron Man 3. Overall I thoroughly enjoyed the pilot. It does a great job of setting up the rest of the show. There is just the right mixture of action, drama, and comedy in this, but that’s usually a given with something written and directed by Joss Whedon. If the reaction from the crowd watching it was any indication then I think people are going to have a lot of fun with this show. And if you think you know the importance of Lola, think again!

There wasn’t much said after the episode aired other than the panel thanking the fans because their love for Coulson is what made this show happen. We also got reminded that the show premiers Tuesday, September 24th on ABC.