Hello everyone, I've been a member for a while but I forgot about this site until the thread on RPGNet about RPGPundit's interview for that Norwegian site. At any rate, I like what I see around here despite being a little intimidated, so I think I'll stick around.
In reading the interview, I was struck by the snippets of the Uruguayan lifestyle that the article contained- enough that I've been reading blogs and other information about Uruguay in hopes of visiting and scouting it out as a place to live with my family. To that end I have a few multi-part questions for RPGPundit and any other gamers in Uruguay who use these forums.
1: Gaming. What are some good game stores in Montevideo? Are they holes in the wall, or do they have a good selection? What's the gaming culture like? Sorry if it's been answered, but I can't find that info on your blog, RPGPundit.
2: Amenities. Regarding Internet, cable/satellite, and movie theaters, how would you rate the quality of each? Are movies and shows available in English? For example, at a movie theater, are the movies dubbed in Spanish or subtitled?
3. Poverty and Crime. I've read on at least one blog that theft is the big crime, everywhere in Montevideo. Is that true, or are there safer areas? What other crimes are common? I can handle a moderately dangerous city (I've lived in them), as long as I know the lay of the land.
4. An odd one- roaches and vermin. Are they any more of an issue than anywhere else, particularly the Northern US and Canada?
I guess that's all for now. Thanks, and I appreciate any answers you can give me.
Welcome Scott! I've had a name change, but it's Dan (or formally Tonto on RPGnet, if you prefer).
We must get around to talking about that mythic M&M superlink project we were talking about a while back.
Iv'e still got two projects on the go at the moment, but i should be free beginning of April. Perhaps we could chat more about it then?
Dan.
Hey Dan, how's it going? Good to see a familiar "face" as it were.
Incidentally, the few fans of my setting that exist :D have talked me into rewriting it as a more traditional d20 fantasy (i.e D&D) setting, rather than M&M. I've just started work on that, actually. So unfortunately, it doesn't look like I'll be able to do the M&M project unless it was significantly different from my Morningstar stuff. I'd just hate to have a conflict of interests. I'd certainly be willing to talk about it though.
No worries mate. I'm glad you've got some more interest in Morningstar.
Well, if you're still interested in collaborating on something later on down the line, give me a shout.
I must just say "Monster Manuel" is a fantastic handle for a South American gamer :D
Thanks. I use the same one on RPGNet. I like Spanish and Hispanic cultures. When someone posted something like "Where's Monster Manuel 2?" on RPGNet I signed up with the name.
My wife's from Puerto Rico, while I'm of Irish/various European descent. She's fluent in Spanish and knows a few dialects, and I know pidgin high school Spanish. I think we'd both like at least seeing Uruguay and maybe taking a trip to Buenos Aires or down the coast of Argentina to see the sea life. My son's big into that stuff.
If I'm babbling it's because I've been up all night. Sorry. :)
Quote from: One Horse TownNo worries mate. I'm glad you've got some more interest in Morningstar.
Well, if you're still interested in collaborating on something later on down the line, give me a shout.
Sure thing. We were on a similar wavelength for at least one idea, so I'm sure we'd find other common ground.
Hi, Manuel!
Quote from: Monster Manuel1: Gaming. What are some good game stores in Montevideo? Are they holes in the wall, or do they have a good selection? What's the gaming culture like? Sorry if it's been answered, but I can't find that info on your blog, RPGPundit.
The gaming culture is great here, there's a huge pool of gamers available to play campaigns. Some of them speak fluent english, but most campaigns tend to be in spanish of course, so you'd probably have to keep that in mind.
There is only one "game store" of a sort, called Grim Goblin, that mostly has CCGs and a few old sourcebooks for crappy games; they haven't had any new books in years; it was recently considered a major coup when they got a set of dice in.
Most gamers here buy pirated books (just about any RPG you can imagine is available in a pirated version here). However, you can also order from Amazon or Lulu very very easily.
Quote2: Amenities. Regarding Internet, cable/satellite, and movie theaters, how would you rate the quality of each? Are movies and shows available in English? For example, at a movie theater, are the movies dubbed in Spanish or subtitled?
They've recently upgraded the ADSL, and I'd say at this point, unless you're doing something that requires MASSIVE speed and bandwith, you won't notice the difference between ADSL here vs. North America (except that its slightly more expensive here).
There's a good cable selection. You get HBO, Sony, Warner, Fox, CNN en español, The BBC in the Queen's English, A&E, History, Discovery, Discovery Kids, Nikleodeon, the Cartoon Network, Retro, Moviechannel, Cinemax, iSat, Europa, DW, various sports channels (including ESPN), and local channels. All that is in the basic cable package.
Virtually all TV shows (except kids' shows and cartoons) are in their original language (english, or whichever) with Spanish Subtitles. Movies are available in theatres in their original language with subs, or in dubbed version.
Cable is relatively affordable, a little cheaper than what I was paying for it in North America, actually, for about the same number of channels.
The movie scene is great, they have all the big hits from hollywood, but there's also "Cinemateca", which is a network of theatres that show independent and art films. The best part is the price: a premiere costs you about $4US. Compared to what they're charging over in the 1st world these days, that's a steal.
Quote3. Poverty and Crime. I've read on at least one blog that theft is the big crime, everywhere in Montevideo. Is that true, or are there safer areas? What other crimes are common? I can handle a moderately dangerous city (I've lived in them), as long as I know the lay of the land.
Montevideo is ranked as number 2 on the list of the safest world capitals, second only to Singapore. I would say it is easily far safer than New York, London, Paris, Toronto, Edmonton, Vancouver, New Orleans or L.A., from personal experiences. Its easily and by far the safest big city in South America, nothing at all like Buenos Aires (which is also fairly safe), never mind Rio or Sao Paolo (which are NOT safe).
Of course, there are richer and poorer neighbourhoods, and places where it is safer or less safe to go around at night. Let me say that in the 4 years I've been here, I have NOT ONCE experienced a crime. I have witnessed precisely ONE crime (a friend of mine got his motorcycle robbed). In 4 years, that's not a bad track record at all.
Montevideo is probably the safest place I've ever lived. Don't worry at all about it; the kind of precautions you'd take in any normal big city are more than enough to keep you safe.
Quote4. An odd one- roaches and vermin. Are they any more of an issue than anywhere else, particularly the Northern US and Canada?
Uruguay has its share of vermin, and if you live in a house, there's a good likelihood that in the summer you might get a roach or two. But assuming you keep a clean environment, there's no reason why it should be a prolem.
In the city itself, I rarely see cockroaches, though I have, once or twice, in bathrooms or in lobbies of buildings. In my own apartment, I've never seen a cockroach; if you have someone in your family who's pest-phobic, that would be the answer: live in an apartment.
I can't recommend Uruguay enough. Its wonderful here. I hope this all helps you make your decision.
RPGPundit
Quote from: Monster ManuelMy wife's from Puerto Rico, while I'm of Irish/various European descent. She's fluent in Spanish and knows a few dialects, and I know pidgin high school Spanish. I think we'd both like at least seeing Uruguay and maybe taking a trip to Buenos Aires or down the coast of Argentina to see the sea life. My son's big into that stuff.
Buenos Aires is wonderful too, but its a MUCH bigger city, with all that involves. Montevideo's pop is about 1.5 million, while Buenos Aires' is 14 million. Its positively huge, and has slightly more problems with crime, and its a bit more expensive. On the other hand, its got a better nightlife and more access to stuff.
But personally, I like Montevideo for living in, and Buenos Aires for visiting. Living in Montevideo, its just a $50 ferry ride away to visit Buenos Aires for a weekend. Really easy.
BTW, Uruguay's coastline is probably better to travel down. We're like 60% coastline, you know; and have some of the best beaches in the world, and some really cool marine life.
RPGPundit
Quote from: Mr. AnalyticalI must just say "Monster Manuel" is a fantastic handle for a South American gamer :D
Same could be said of "Manuel Dexterity" and my favorite, "Pablo Charisma".
Quote from: RPGPunditVirtually all TV shows (except kids' shows and cartoons) are in their original language (english, or whichever) with Spanish Subtitles.
Really! Huh! That's interesting. In Mexico, in the 80's, all the US TV shows were dubbed.
If you've gone your entire life without seeing "Punky Brewster" in Spanish, you cannot truly call what you've experienced "life".
Thank you for the in-depth responses, RPGPundit! I guess I didn't consider how demanding my questions were. Thanks for your patience. I think your information has helped a lot- my wife hasn't been 100% on board with my Uruguay kick until I told here some of the things in your posts, along with what I discovered about the diverse marine life in your part of the world (She's all about the kid). We're about to sit down and have a long talk about how to budget the scouting trip. Thanks again.
As for getting RPGs, I guess if I get that far, I could try a US-based remailing service like Miami Box and just order from Amazon.com. I tend to plan what I buy carefully, so that wouldn't get too expensive.
And thanks to everyone else as well. I definitely feel welcome. Now if I can just keep from wearing my ass for a hat, I'll be ok.
Hello Manuel!
Quote from: Monster Manuel1: Gaming. What are some good game stores in Montevideo? Are they holes in the wall, or do they have a good selection? What's the gaming culture like?
There are plenty of gamers to play with, though it's a safe bet to say that most of them play in Spanish. :haw:
There's only one gaming store, but its focus are CCGs. If you have a credit card, though, it's extremely easy to buy online nowadays (plus, books don't pay import taxes).
Quote from: Monster Manuel2: Amenities. Regarding Internet, cable/satellite, and movie theaters, how would you rate the quality of each? Are movies and shows available in English? For example, at a movie theater, are the movies dubbed in Spanish or subtitled?
Most movies have subtitles. Only children films get dubbed, and even some of them have subtitled version for adults at night (
Cars, for example).
Other than that, what Pundit said.
Quote from: Monster Manuel3. Poverty and Crime. I've read on at least one blog that theft is the big crime, everywhere in Montevideo. Is that true, or are there safer areas? What other crimes are common? I can handle a moderately dangerous city (I've lived in them), as long as I know the lay of the land.
Montevideo is quite peaceful, and common sense should be more than enough to keep you safe. For my part, I've never been the victim of a crime, and I've lived in this city all of my life.
The US Department of State (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1054.html) says that "those planning to live in Montevideo should note that burglaries and attempted burglaries seem to be on the rise in upscale neighborhoods. The perpetrators are mostly non-confrontational but determined teenagers. A combination of preventive measures including rigorous use of locks and alarms, strong grillwork on all windows, guard dogs, keeping a residence occupied as much as possible, and using a security service is highly recommended."
Just in case, I'm tossing in some statistics (http://www.amavericko.com/2007/01/uy-and-us-statistics.html) comparing Uruguay and the US:
Assaults per 1,000: UY 1.3; US 7.6
Burglaries per 1,000: UY 1.6; US 7.1
Car thefts per 1,000: UY 1.2; US 3.9
Year abolished death penalty: UY 1907; US n/a
Fraud per 1,000: UY 0.33; US 1.26
Murder by firearm per 1,000: UY 0.025; US 0.028
Prisoners per 100,000: UY 209; US 715 (highest of all nations in the world)
Rapes per 1,000: UY 0.05; US 0.3
Robberies per 10,000: UY 1.57; US 1.38
Total crimes per 1,000: UY 21.70; US 80.06
Quote from: Monster Manuel4. An odd one- roaches and vermin. Are they any more of an issue than anywhere else, particularly the Northern US and Canada?
Odd question indeed. :p
There are roaches and vermin, obviously, but they are not an issue.
Quote from: Monster ManuelAs for getting RPGs, I guess if I get that far, I could try a US-based remailing service like Miami Box and just order from Amazon.com. I tend to plan what I buy carefully, so that wouldn't get too expensive.
You also have Netbox. (http://www.uy.netboxworld.com/centro.html#) We've used it with very good results.
Here's a blog about expat mail services (http://www.amavericko.com/2007/01/expat-mail-services-miami-box-vs-usabox.html) in Uruguay.
Quote from: Monster ManuelAnd thanks to everyone else as well. I definitely feel welcome. Now if I can just keep from wearing my ass for a hat, I'll be ok.
Not from Uruguay, but welcome nonetheless! Happy posting!
Quote from: Monster ManuelThank you for the in-depth responses, RPGPundit! I guess I didn't consider how demanding my questions were. Thanks for your patience. I think your information has helped a lot- my wife hasn't been 100% on board with my Uruguay kick until I told here some of the things in your posts, along with what I discovered about the diverse marine life in your part of the world (She's all about the kid). We're about to sit down and have a long talk about how to budget the scouting trip. Thanks again.
As for getting RPGs, I guess if I get that far, I could try a US-based remailing service like Miami Box and just order from Amazon.com. I tend to plan what I buy carefully, so that wouldn't get too expensive.
No prob, and if you make it down this way obviously let me know!
As for remailing, there is a very popular service called "Netbox" that deals specifically with Uruguay. Many gamers here use it to buy books from Amazon.
RPGPundit
Well I'm sat here in my dining room, on the Isle of Wight. Its pouring with rain and its cold. It costs me approx £20 to get to the mainland (and thats only to Southampton or Portsmouth) which probably about $200 in foreign money.
Now I'm homesick for Uruguay and I've never even been!
Enjoy your tropical temperatures, your cheap cost of living and your many gamers. Bastards!
Come the revolution.... (mimes cocking and aiming a rifle)
You know, you wouldn't be the first expat to move here... ;)
Thanks, JongWK and everyone else.
A few more questions came up last night. Any answers would be greatly appreciated. Sorry if it seems like I'm asking too much.
5. Food. I realize that I won't be able to buy everything I'm used to premade, but would I be able to find the supplies to cook most of the things I'm used to? I'm talking about things like cheesecake, chocolate cake, New York or Chicago styled pizza, deli meats, lasagne, English tea (a big one for me) etc?
6. Computers. I'm interested in all types of computers. Can you get decent hardware down there or do you have to ship it in? Can you walk into a store and buy a Mac or do you have to have that shipped in as well? It's the only type of home computer/OS I don't have yet, and I want one.
I guess that's all for now. Hopefully I won't keep asking questions.
Sorry one more that I forgot:
7. Do you have any links for sites that will ship cargo internationally for me if I move? Stuff like my computers, tons of books, and my son's toys. I don't think DHL, etc is what I want- I think most of this stuff should be shipped in wooden crates.
Argh- I'm in consecutive post hell...
RPGPundit: If and when I come down I'll definitely let you know. I think it would be cool to buy you a drink.
Quote from: Monster Manuel5. Food. I realize that I won't be able to buy everything I'm used to premade, but would I be able to find the supplies to cook most of the things I'm used to? I'm talking about things like cheesecake, chocolate cake, New York or Chicago styled pizza, deli meats, lasagne, English tea (a big one for me) etc?
You can find all of the above here. Some particular spices might be more difficult to obtain, but that's about it.
Quote6. Computers. I'm interested in all types of computers. Can you get decent hardware down there or do you have to ship it in? Can you walk into a store and buy a Mac or do you have to have that shipped in as well? It's the only type of home computer/OS I don't have yet, and I want one.
You won't have any problems unless you are a hardcore gamer.
Quote from: Monster ManuelThanks, JongWK and everyone else.
A few more questions came up last night. Any answers would be greatly appreciated. Sorry if it seems like I'm asking too much.
5. Food. I realize that I won't be able to buy everything I'm used to premade, but would I be able to find the supplies to cook most of the things I'm used to? I'm talking about things like cheesecake, chocolate cake, New York or Chicago styled pizza, deli meats, lasagne, English tea (a big one for me) etc?
Cheesecakes of different kinds are available here, chocolate cakes are common; there are lots of different types of pizza, but the typical pizza is italian style (not American, but incredibly good), there's a wide variety of deli meats, lasagna and all types of italian food are abundant (the country had a huge influx of italian immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th century), and you can get Twinnings of all major varieties here (english breakfast, Earl grey, etc).
Quote6. Computers. I'm interested in all types of computers. Can you get decent hardware down there or do you have to ship it in? Can you walk into a store and buy a Mac or do you have to have that shipped in as well? It's the only type of home computer/OS I don't have yet, and I want one.
I guess that's all for now. Hopefully I won't keep asking questions.
You can get pretty much any hardware you could get in North America here, but it will be more expensive. State of the art computers will cost almost twice as much as they'd cost in the 1st world.
Macs are practically unheard of here, I'm not sure if there's a Mac dealership in Uruguay, but I know there's one in Argentina, so you could get it shipped in from there in the worst case scenario.
Most computers here run windows or linux, both being highly popular.
RPGPundit
Quote from: Monster ManuelSorry one more that I forgot:
7. Do you have any links for sites that will ship cargo internationally for me if I move? Stuff like my computers, tons of books, and my son's toys. I don't think DHL, etc is what I want- I think most of this stuff should be shipped in wooden crates.
Hmm, since I had contacts of mine that handled all my shipping on both ends, I don't actually have an answer to this one for you. However, I do know that it is relatively easy to get ahold of that.
Supposing you come here before moving everything; be it to visit or you move here before sending over your stuff to get settled in first, I could get you in touch with people that would probably know what company(ies) to use; and could get you in touch with the right Customs broker who wouldn't rip you off.
RPGPundit
Quote from: RPGPunditMacs are practically unheard of here, I'm not sure if there's a Mac dealership in Uruguay, but I know there's one in Argentina, so you could get it shipped in from there in the worst case scenario.
I don't think there's an Apple Store, but you can certainly buy Macs from several stores.
Thanks again, this is all very good information; I can't find a single thing that I wouldn't be able to deal with about Uruguay. It's definitely at the top of my list of places to look at to settle down. My wife and I are trying not to get *too* excited, but we can't help it. We're up for a job running a foster home, and if we get that we'd have to delay moving forward, but if not, getting to Uruguay, at least to visit, will be our priority.
We're hoping to leave the country because both parties in the US are slowly eating away at the rights of the citizens, whether it be the right to travel, the right to do what you want with your own body, or the right to not have the proverbial Big Brother looking over your shoulder.
Anyway, I'm kind of wierd politically. My views range from Socialist to Libertarian. I might do well in a Scandinavian country like Denmark, but the cost of living is so high, and I'm not sure how much I like the high taxes. I'm also not a fan of regulating businesses and products to protect people from themselves.
What I've read about Uruguay is very compelling (This part's mainly for non-Uruguayans; you guys correct me if I'm wrong). One thing that comes up frequently in my readings is the idea that there is no "Nanny State" down there. They sell products that can be dangerous and trust people to have common sense. For example, one blog mentioned a product that is used to boil water for Mate (a Uruguayan tea). This product is a bare heating coil that you plug into the wall and drop into your mug... :D Supposedly you can easily get a shock if you touch your mug while it's heating. For some reason I like that. Oh, and prostitution's legal, and it's not illegal to have less than 5 grams of marijuana on you (though more can get you busted). I don't smoke pot, but these kinds of thing satisfy my Libertarian leanings.
On the socialist side, You have free schooling though the university level and free medical care for the poorest citizens.
Oh, and on top of that, people with my family's income can live like kings! What gets me a lower middle class lifestyle (Though admittedly, I have top notch cable and internet) in New England, would get me a house, a maid, and apparently all the comforts I'm used to and more. Certain imported goods are pricier, but the tradeoff seems to be that actual needs and services are so inexpensive, leaving you with more money for the extras.
The barrier of entry is ridiculously low too. You just need a $500 (US money) a month income, to have a clean criminal record, and to get checked out medically. From there, it takes 5 years to gain citizenship. You don't have to pay taxes for income from another country, though if you're from the US, the government will want its cut of anything over $80,000 a year.
It's sounding pretty damn good. I don't know how I'd feel about having a maid though. It might be too exploitative for me.
QuoteAnyway, I'm kind of wierd politically. My views range from Socialist to Libertarian.
I think you'll fit here, on both counts. :D
This is all very interesting, as I and my Fiancee want to Visit Uruguay soon (two years or so).
I'm about to ask a really stupid question, so don't flame me. I speak okay Spanish, but I read it much more fluently than speaking it, my Wife-to-be has very little Spanish, although she took 4 years of it in High School, so it would come back.
For an expat (which I doubt she would go for, though I WOULD) how long would the language barrier be a major hindrance? Is there enough of a tourist industry that only speaking English would be a liability? Are there any minority languages that need to be taken into account? How different in Uruguayan spanish from Mexican Spanish?
Quote from: joewolzThis is all very interesting, as I and my Fiancee want to Visit Uruguay soon (two years or so).
Good! :win:
QuoteI'm about to ask a really stupid question, so don't flame me. I speak okay Spanish, but I read it much more fluently than speaking it, my Wife-to-be has very little Spanish, although she took 4 years of it in High School, so it would come back.
For an expat (which I doubt she would go for, though I WOULD) how long would the language barrier be a major hindrance? Is there enough of a tourist industry that only speaking English would be a liability? Are there any minority languages that need to be taken into account? How different in Uruguayan spanish from Mexican Spanish?
Uruguayan Spanish is similar to Mexican Spanish, except for slang and accent. Unless you're heavy into that (particularly the former), you won't have a problem.
Lots of people speak English (it's part of basic education), though many lack enough practice with true English speakers.
Tourism is a pillar of Uruguay's economy. Two million tourists visit the country every year, mostly during summer (for the record, Uruguay has less than 3.5 million inhabitants). There's even a "Tourist Police" trained to help visitors, and yes, they speak English.
If you fancy the rich and famous, Punta del Este (http://www.mercopress.com/vernoticia.do?id=9797&formato=HTML)is
the place to be. If you don't, there are many other places to visit. :keke:
Quote from: Monster ManuelIt's sounding pretty damn good. I don't know how I'd feel about having a maid though. It might be too exploitative for me.
You get used to it. I make up for any sense of class-guilt by making sure she was the best paid maid in the country.
Anyways, what exactly would you do for work if you moved here?
RPGPundit
I'm a writer, although my career has been in limbo for a while. I've fallen into the stay-at-home dad role here in the US, but I could easily change that if I knuckled down and didn't let myself get so comfortable. When I was doing d20 work, I wote a 96 page book in 2 weeks for about $850, so I can write fast. I've also never had any finished work rejected once I submitted it. I'm not bragging, just saying I'm a solid writer. My problem is that I expect perfection from myself, and I've been paralyzed by it for a while. My d20 work had mediocre sales and I let it screw with my head.
Not all of my work has been game related, I've also written some articles and done some reporting. I plan to write RPG stuff only as a hobby, and focus on fiction.
I have a few ideas for businesses that I can run online. I have a huge collection of old books that could start me off as a book dealer via the internet. For example, I have the first edition of Origin of the Species and some really cool Victorian books on Occultism. And that's just one possibility.
I also have a close friend who does the databases for NASDAQ, and he, my wife, and I been talking about a new kind of media site that we want to develop. We just need funding to get it set up-there would be a lot of streaming rich media. He does well enough to kick in a good amount, but maybe not good enough. We're still looking into it.
My wife's job, however, might not be worth doing down there for the pay. She gets about $24 an hour as an Optometric Technician whereas I know doctors probably don't even make that much down there. An Argentinian doctor came to work at her office, and none of his skills were legally transferable, so he ended up doing what she did and said he made more.
If I had a maid, I'd also make sure she was very well paid. I'd thought about that. One blogger said he paid his maid about $2 an hour and she was happy with it. I was just thinking about what it might mean to someone used to that kind of pay to make $4-6 with hefty Christmas bonuses. I doubt I could afford more, but if I could do more I would.
Yes, as far as I can see that would be your biggest complication. You should think through very carefully what you would do for a living when you were here. Its great that everything is totally cheap here, but its only totally cheap if you're actually earning a "1st world" wage level.
That's pretty easy to do if you have a telecommuting kind of job, working online for a company, or freelancing; but you have to be sure you'll be able to earn regular paychecks.
as for your wife's job, I doubt very much that her job here would earn her enough to make it worthwhile unless she does it out of some sense of vocation. She could work in the tourism industry, perhaps, or for the embassy, if she was lucky.
Let me put it to you this way: to live in Uruguay in a comfortable lifestyle with all the 1st world amenities you are accustomed to, you have to earn $1000US a month here, roughly. It can be a bit less if you're not too materialistic, a bit more if you are; way less if you're a total hippie and don't want things like a TV or going regularly to restaurants.
But you have to find a way to earn that. The average Uruguayan job, if you can find one, will earn you $200-400US a month. You see where the problem is there? So you need to have a first world job that "pays in dollars" as they say here.
If you know you can earn about $1000US a month freelancing, then you're set. You'll be living a lifestyle that's equivalent to what you'd need a $40K a year (or more) after-tax income in North America to enjoy.
RPGPundit
I pay my maid $4 an hour. She's very happy with that.
RPGPundit
We're definitely going to be very careful to make sure we have solid income streams before moving. I realize that ending up down there with no income could turn a great experience into Hell; if we had to rely on earning money down there, we wouldn't be able to afford a way out, and our standard of living would much be lower than it is here.
Because of that, and assuming I like it when I visit, I won't make the actual move unless I either get my career going full bore and have royalties coming in, or have another steady business going.
At worst, I might just have to delay a move like this until later in life; it sounds morbid, but there are three properties that are willed to me on Martha's Vineyard. Eventually I'll be able to rent them out, which would set me up nicely even in the States. Of course I'm in no rush to get those properties- the great aunt and uncle (my grandmother's sister and her husband) who own them are the closest things to parents I have. They raised me in one of the houses.
You mentioned freelancing. Do you have a list of credits? (just curious)
As far as game stuff goes I've written the Morningstar d20 Campaign Setting (http://www.goodman-games.com/4100preview.php) and The Complete Guide to Fey (http://www.goodman-games.com/3009preview.php) along with some articles for various magazines including the defunct EN World Player's Journal, Knights of the Dinner Table, and websites. For non-game stuff it's mainly been reporting, including some science reporting.
Morningstar's an uncut diamond wrapped in a turd, while The Complete Guide to Fey actually makes me proud. It's ironic that Morningstar took me over a year and Fey only took me two weeks to write. Morningstar was my first book ,and I missed a lot of opportunities and screwed up the game mechanics. I wouldn't recommend picking it up at this point, unless you just wanted some novel ideas.
Lately I've been working on a new version of Morningstar and two major works of fiction- one a Judeo-Christian horror/dark fantasy story, and the other a pure dark fantasy set in a world where all magic is demonic in nature. I have high hopes for all three.
Oh, and note that while I'm using western religion in one of my fantasy stories, I'm at best an agnostic, and sometimes an atheist. The story is actually an indictment of western religion, using the mythology.
Here's another question that I've been wondering about:
8: Uruguayn gamers. RPGPundit has said elsewhere that Uruguayan gamers are more mainstream and usually "normal" (my word), but what is the culture like? How would you describe the playstyle of the average Uruguayan gamer? For example, in my area, most people tend to be very distant from their characters, treating them like playing tokens in a board game, whereas where I grew up, most people who played RPGs were into theater, and tended to see RPGs as an extension of that. I'm not saying one's better, but I prefer a 40/60 blend of the two. Would I be able to fidn a group with my tastes?
Edit: I'm very much into the immersion aspect of RPGs, are Uruguayan gamers? I realize it's impossible to stereotype a whole community, but I'm just wondering about trends.
People vary of course, but most Uruguayans are definitely of the school of "getting into their character's heads" (ie. immersive) at least most I've gamed with.
RPGPundit