AMTGARD'S OPINION CODEX • ALL OPINIONS, ALL THE TIME • APRIL 19, 2024 HOME • ARCHIVE • WRITERS • FORUMS • WRITE FOR US • ABOUT

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EGO-DRIVEN FASCISTS Randall e-Samurai Editor He's a questionable bard and a dubious fighter, and he's been part of Dragonspine since 1992. An opinionated guy, certainly. Amtgard Communication [06/24/2015] [Randall] There are several things a person can do to make their communication more successful. Doing Facebook Better [05/08/2015] [Randall] A few thoughts on Facebook, Monkey business, and what we need to improve. Strength Matters [03/19/2015] [Randall] In Amtgard combat, strength is an advantage for both men and women--and it's insurmountably more important for women. Kingdom Level [03/02/2015] [Randall] It's important for expectations to match reality. Armor is Cool [05/14/2014] [Randall] “We use light swords” is not an argument to allow unrealistic armor. Awards: Too easy? [02/13/2014] [Randall] Top awards should be for top performance, but does that always happen? V8 is Amtgard [01/23/2014] [Randall] There is only one word in existence that sums up V8. Skill Gap [01/03/2014] [Randall] It's important to learn how to address skill gap at your park. A Time for Choosing [10/01/2012] [Randall] Going forward, Amtgard should protect its members and itself. The Next Generation [08/24/2012] [Randall] I am happy with aetherfoam as a noodle replacement. Baby, Be a Simple Kind of Battlegame Designer [08/02/2012] [Randall] Keep 'em simple, keep 'em focused, and make sure people get to play. Of Chains and Rules [05/10/2011] [Randall] Is it okay to allow exceptions to the rules? Is it smart to even have rules? Fourteen Kingdoms in Twelve Months: Wetlands [12/22/2010] [Randall] What looks like an old park but feels like a young park? You Are Not the Flurb Messiah [11/04/2010] [Randall] Let all who are hungry for roleplay, come and roleplay with me. Thirteen Kingdoms in Twelve Months: Iron Mountains [10/19/2010] [Randall] Querna Tema is good people with a good park. Auditing the Prime Minister [09/16/2010] [Randall] One of the most common problems in Amtgard seems to be bad record-keeping. Thirteen Kingdoms in Twelve Months: Burning Lands [06/17/2010] [Randall] This was not the Burning Lands I remember visiting as a teenager. Thirteen Kingdoms in Twelve Months: Golden Plains [05/10/2010] [Randall] Dark Oasis is happy Amtgard, the way it should be played. Thirteen Kingdoms in Twelve Months: Emerald Hills [03/29/2010] [Randall] The weekend was enjoyable and full, and the little taste I got of these wonderful parks made me want to stay longer at each of them. The Coming Noodlepocalypse [03/19/2010] [Randall] Will we be able to use noodle in 2011? Last Century Amtgard [03/15/2010] [Randall] We should embrace the good and learn from the bad. Amtgard Language [02/10/2010] [Randall] With just a few small changes, we can change the game. Peripheral Amtgarders (and A&S) [01/04/2010] [Randall] If you host a regular A&S, make a point to invite your peripherals. If you don't have one, start one. Between Stick Jock and Flurb [02/27/2009] [Randall] Make the other side want to play in your reindeer games Amtgard Misperceptions [01/09/2009] [Randall] What if people assumed I was boycotting the reign? Ostracism the Just [05/23/2008] [Randall] A viking election consisted of drowning the old king in a river. We are more like the Athenians. Amtgard Cavemen [05/19/2008] [Randall] I'd like to say that it's so easy that a caveman could do it, but it's really the other way around. Amtgard Thanksgiving [11/27/2007] [Randall] This article would've been something great to write last week. Circle of Almost Monarchs [07/18/2007] [Randall] If we want to be Amtgard, empowering and trusting the Circle of Monarchs is the way. Portland Syndrome [02/12/2007] [Randall] If this is 'The Dream', then wake me up. Spearweasel Was Right [12/19/2006] [Randall] Everyone in the game seems to be assigned into two categories - stick jocks and flurbs. Trashy Garb and Positive Perceptions [06/12/2006] [Randall] It's important for Amtgard chapters to look good, have good attitudes, and get involved in the community. Of Troublemakers and 'Official' Amtgard [04/13/2006] [Randall] Amtgard troublemakers should not be able to excuse their abuse of other Amtgardians by claiming they weren’t at an Amtgard. Of Rats and Sinking Ships [04/03/2006] [Randall] It’d be so much easier to just let the damn thing sink and go home. But there are reasons not to. Winning [02/02/2006] [Randall] Winning elections is easy if you know how. Election Patterns [01/09/2006] [Randall] Is the champion-as-heir pattern a permanent fixture in the Kingdom of Dragonspine? The Most Unimportant Article [01/03/2006] [Randall] What happened that made us stop having fun? E-Samurai Moving [06/28/2005] [Randall] There's some changes on the horizon. The Grind [01/25/2005] [Randall] Sometimes things stop being fun and start being work. The Year in Review III [12/31/2004] [Randall] We wished for a good year for Amtgard and that’s exactly what we got. Ask the Monarchs [12/30/2004] [Randall] Four questions for all the kings and queens of Amtgard. Nobody Sluffs [12/20/2004] [Randall] This article isn’t late. You have to take it. Qualify It [12/11/2004] [Randall] If you’re qualified for a belt, you should be fit to be a knight. Top Ten Most Famous Amtgarders 2004 [11/18/2004] [Randall] Who are the most well-known Amtgarders? e-Samurai asked and the people answered. Rules Review [11/08/2004] [Randall] The 7th edition is a fine offering. Optimism in Amtgard [10/04/2004] [Randall] I wonder if this will work. The Case for Crown Quals [09/05/2004] [Randall] Ten reasons why we should keep Crown Quals. Do Something [07/19/2004] [Randall] You don’t need permission to make Amtgard better. Origins of the Flurb [05/10/2004] [Randall] The whole story, from flurby beginnings to the modern day. Amtgard Dinosaurs [04/13/2004] [Randall] Are your ideas as obsolete as a PVC core? A United, Divided Amtgard [03/08/2004] [Randall] It is time for all kingdoms to establish geographic boundaries. The Year in Review II [12/29/2003] [Randall] A good year for news. . . a great year for Amtgard. Confederacies Done Right [11/03/2003] [Randall] A confederacy grouped around a strong central group is the way to go. Amtgard Lesson in Leadership [10/01/2003] [Randall] Take the advice of one of the most talented logisticians of the 20th century. Remove Your Officers [07/16/2003] [Randall] Without accountability, the dictators in charge can do whatever they want. Goldenvale is Changing Your Corpora [06/26/2003] [Randall] If you change what an award means for your kingdom, you change what it means for all of Amtgard. Politics Isn't a Dirty Word [06/18/2003] [Randall] Politics isn’t bad, and neither are politicians. Disenchanted, Disenfranchised [06/08/2003] [Randall] It's seven weeks 'til Clan. Do you know who your 6.1 rep is? A Lack of Standards [05/27/2003] [Randall] Jearden made the right decision in the Wetlands, but the problem is bigger than one kingdom. Banning Sir Jamus [05/20/2003] [Randall] VSR has acted with good intentions, but their good intentions are laying the foundation for bad precedents. Ten Things I Learned at Sword Knight Boot Camp [04/29/2003] [Randall] It was the best new event of 2003 and I even learned something about fighting. 6.1 Scout [03/31/2003] [Randall] Minus my pet peeves and suggestions, all it really needs is an editor. Goliath's Dilemma [02/03/2003] [Randall] The Kingdom of Goldenvale is in violation of its contract, its Corpora, and its duty to act in a manner befitting a kingdom of Amtgard. What will King Goliath do? One City, One Land! [01/28/2003] [Randall] Or is it? Let's take a look at some other split cities that aren't getting the Alamogordo treatment. The Year in Review [12/31/2002] [Randall] Here are the things we’ll remember when we look back on 2002. Knightly Quotas [12/16/2002] [Randall] Knighthood is too complex, and the kingdoms too unique, to lay down numbers, rules, or hard guidelines. It's the Foam, Stupid [12/02/2002] [Randall] Unless you’re showing up to the park, you’re not playing Amtgard. The Burning Lands Doesn't Suck [11/21/2002] [Randall] Cast aside your prejudices as I tell you why they ain’t that bad. Hands in the Cookie Jar [11/16/2002] [Randall] If you’re thinking about giving yourself an award, just say no. 10 Steps to Not Getting Knighted [11/13/2002] [Randall] Knighthood isn’t for everybody, and if it’s not for you, try any of these ten easy steps to avoiding a white belt. The Deadliest Weapons [10/24/2002] [Randall] In the end, it’s not the Zulu Spear that’s wrong. It’s us. Sir Forest Justicar [10/21/2002] [Randall] An intrepid e-Samurai photographer catches the heretic knight by surprise. The Emerald Hills is Wrong [10/21/2002] [Randall] Impose a puritanical tyranny on the masses if you wish, but don't pretend you're doing it to save women. When We Were Flurbs [10/17/2002] [Randall] We were all flurbs. If we weren’t, we wouldn't have loved the game so much that we stuck with it. Settle the Issue [10/17/2002] [Randall] It’s time to enslave the Emerald Hills. Angus and Atomic Clock are Both Wrong [10/11/2002] [Randall] A truly great fighter doesn't need to rely on the game system to beat his opponents. And Lord Angus is wrong. The Power of the Throne [10/08/2002] [Randall] "Any king who is happy to be stepping down failed," I told my friends. I was wrong. Rules Rape 6.1 [09/16/2002] [Randall] It doesn’t take nine years to revise the rules, but that’s just enough time to hack them apart, completely rewrite them, and use them as a political weapon. The Essential e-Samurai [09/09/2002] [Randall] You spoke. The Electric Samurai listened. Now we'll tell you exactly what you're like based on your answers in the e-Samurai polls. Which BLBOD Member Are You? [09/03/2002] [Randall] Take this tongue-in-cheek quiz to find out which BLBOD member you most resemble. Top Ten Most Famous Amtgarders [09/03/2002] [Randall] E-Samurai presents the Top Ten Most Well-Known Amtgarders, plus a few extra famous guys as a bonus treat. Chains of Fealty [08/05/2002] [Randall] To whom does a knight owe fealty – to the king, or to the kingdom? One Ring [07/08/2002] [Randall] There is evil in this game, but it can be defeated. Forest Fires [06/26/2002] [Randall] There's smoke in the skies. Your Inner E-Samurai [06/26/2002] [Randall] Is Amtgard better because of me? Yes, it is. Attack of the Clans [06/18/2002] [Randall] Is Belgarion a Phantom Menace? Take Off Your White Belt [06/11/2002] [Randall] A simple game of ‘Newbie Monk or Crappy Knight’ can keep you occupied for hours. Quote of the Day [05/03/2002] [Randall] Will your kingdom be the next random victim of the Burning Lands BOD? You may think not... but let's ask Aramithris, President of the BLBOD, just to make sure! A Fundamental Flaw [04/30/2002] [Randall] Try to remember the last time anybody thanked you. Go to Clan [04/10/2002] [Randall] The hopes and dreams of your youth await you there. Supreme Executive Authority [04/03/2002] [Randall] Power to the People fans may wish to brace themselves -- I am about to say something bad. We Didn't Make Up Amtgard [03/21/2002] [Randall] Sung to the tune of "We Didn't Start the Fire" by Billy Joel. Futile Pet Peeves [03/05/2002] [Randall] If it was “your” belt, you would “have” it. Curious Little Marks [02/17/2002] [Randall] By now, we’ve all learned the proper response to complaints of any sort of injury. It’s a contact sport. Better the Devil You Know [01/30/2002] [Randall] If the Burning Lands does not give a voice to the people, someone else will. Let Them Run [01/20/2002] [Randall] Power to the People! It's a revolutionary battle cry, a defiant shout against the established order, and the bane of elitists everywhere. It taps into the democratic foundation of our club and feeds the paranoia of Amtgard's autocracy. It's about the little guy and giving him a say. I am the little guy and this is my column.

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