RPG Design Panelcast

Introduction to RPG Design Recorded at Gencon 2016 Presented by Jason Pitre, Dustin Depenning, Emily Care Boss, Shoshanna Kessock You can design games, and we want to help. This panel, sponsored by the Indie Game Developer Network, is here to get you started by sharing resources and best practices. Want to find out the basic of game design? We are here to help show you the way. Before you go, we would like to ask you to fill in the RPG Design Panelcast Listener Survey! This will help us learn more about what you like, and solicit suggestions for future panels. You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 91: Intro to RPG Design Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1282)

Fictional Cartography Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Mark Richardson & Kenneth Hite Presented by Mark Richardson & Kenneth Hite. A discussion of map making for use in games. From tools to methodology and creative process. Learn what goes in to bringing life to the maps at the center of our gaming tables! You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 90: Fictional Cartography Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (764)

Game Mechanics as Social Engineering & Social Engineering as Game Design Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Jason Morningstar & John Stavropoulos. Can a game’s mechanics influence player behavior? Evidence – from XP-grubbing to sophisticated and subtle systems for using player agency to adjust real-world habits – suggests it can. Join Jason Morningstar and John Stavropoulos for a stimulating and perhaps surprising discussion on this topic. Bring your own examples to share! You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 89: Game Mechanics as Social Engineering Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (853)

Gaming the Future: Putting the Science Fiction in SF RPGs Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Joshua A.C. Newman, Dev Purkayastha, Laura Simpson & Rachel Walton. Science Fiction, as a genre, has always been about social change and the pressures that change exerts on those caught in that change. That vertiginous change in perspective is designed to give us insight into the human condition as we experience it now. Our panel will talk about the techniques we use to focus RPG play on the interplay of ideas that makes Science Fiction such a compelling genre. You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 88: Science Fiction RPGs Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1072)

Sanity Points Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Elsa S. Henry, Will Hindmarch, Kelly Osborne & Craig Page. The worst thing that can happen to you in a horror game is either that you die, or that you lose your mind. In games that focus on a world “gone mad”, how do we support real people living with mental illness through our game development? This panel will focus on revisiting systems like sanity points, and discuss how to address breaks with reality and surviving the very worst that horror has to throw at the world without treating mental illness as a comedic happenstance, or as something to be dismissed. You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 87: Sanity Points Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (721)

GMing Outside Your Comfort Zone Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Cheyenne Wall-Grimes, Sarah Richardson and Elsa S. Henry We all have games that we love to play and GM, but what happens when you break out of your normal type of game and venture into unknown territory? How do you deal with a new group of players who are into something very different than what you normally run? Whether it’s in a campaign setting or running con games, we’ll go over some of the things to expect, avoid and how to bounce back. You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 86: GMing Outside your Comfort Zone Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (566)

Recycle! Using Material From Other Games Ethically and Effectively Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Justin Jacobson, Cam Banks, Jeff Tidball & Andre La Roche. At one time or another, every designer gains inspiration from existing works. Whether it’s snagging a single mechanic or repurposing an entire game with one crucial tweak. What are some tricks for finding that inspiration and using it in interesting ways? What are the ethical and legal considerations when using material? When does inspiration cross the line into plagiarism or, worse, infringement? What sort of attribution should you use? You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 85: Repurposing Mechanics Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (617)

Patterns and Shapes in Larp Design Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by J Li and Jason Morningstar From spatial layout to information management, this workshop lays out some of the architectural and psychological principles behind LARP design as craft. What’s the difference between a three person conversation and a four person conversation? What does time pressure do to plot? How do you change the outcome of a game by placing chairs? Join us in exploring the fascinating complexity of building stories out of spontaneous human behavior, and playing with the tools we can use to shape it. Associated information is available at larppatterns.org You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 84: Larp Patterns [ 51:53 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (321)

How to Give and Receive Critique Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Joshua A.C. Newman, Hannah Shaffer & Rachel E.S. Walton. Planning and running a Kickstarter campaign for your game can be like designing and playing another game. Will you hack an existing formula or take a risk on an unusual approach? Will it include lots of fiddly mechanics and rewards or will you take a more artistic direction? When you’re running the campaign, how do you play the roles of marketer, designer, publisher, business person, and artist? Join panelists as they talk about the design and management of Kickstarter campaigns themselves. In what ways have they evolved into established systems (stretch goals, etc.) and how are some creators breaking those conventions? You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 83: Critique [ 49:29 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (334)

Kickstarter 101 (2015) Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by JR Honeycutt, Joshua A.C. Newman & Chris O’Neill Planning and running a Kickstarter campaign for your game can be like designing and playing another game. Will you hack an existing formula or take a risk on an unusual approach? Will it include lots of fiddly mechanics and rewards or will you take a more artistic direction? When you’re running the campaign, how do you play the roles of marketer, designer, publisher, business person, and artist? Join panelists as they talk about the design and management of Kickstarter campaigns themselves. In what ways have they evolved into established systems (stretch goals, etc.) and how are some creators breaking those conventions? You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 82: Kickstarter 101 Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (438)

Cinematic Plays Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Will Hindmarch What are cinematic game mechanics? What makes a game cinematic and what do we call it when a game is not cinematic? In this presentation, writer/designer Will Hindmarch examines the languages of film and what we can borrow from cinema when we make our games, our adventures, and our plays at the table. You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 81: Cinematic Plays Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (336)

Game Distribution Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Brian Dalrymple and Darren Watts An overview of the 3-tier system (Publisher to Distributor to Retailer), following the course of a game after production (solicitation to wholesalers, trade shows and open houses, discount structures, buying patterns and reorder cycles, the preorder system, flooring, and more…), and covering how stores discover, order, stock, and merchandise, as they try to put them in customers’ hands. Viable alternatives to the 3-tier system are also discussed. You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 80: Game Distribution Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (296)

Agile Design and Publishing Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Rob Donoghue and Emily Dresner Join our panelists for a discussion of how nerdy business concepts such as Agile software development to can be applied to your gaming experience. Key concepts of agile software design include rapid and flexible response to change – let’s talk about how to apply them to running games. More about Agile from Rob over on his site, at this blog post! Yes You Kan(ban) You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 79: Agile Design and Publishing Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (354)

Creativity In Business: Pixar’s Success and Lessons For Tabletop Publishing Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Jeff Tidball, Cam Banks Managing a company of creative people can be challenging. New ideas are always being introduced into structured spaces that resist change and fear innovation and imagination. Tabletop game publishers and managers can learn from the success of Pixar, Inc, who have mastered the art of ushering in and protecting the new, releasing their employees from common limits on creativity, and not being afraid to try things in often radically different ways to create bigger and better projects As a fine example of creativity in business, the kickstarter for Unknown Armies 3rd Edition is currently up. Dig into the occult weirdness from Atlas Games! You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 78: Creativity in Business Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (195)

Project Budgeting For Tabletop Games Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Jeff Tidball, Cat Tobin & Justin Jacobson The process of producing a board game, card game, or role playing game is lousy, with opportunities for financial disaster. Learn what financial factors you should take into account when planning a game production, and walk through a spreadsheet that’ll help you plan your own projects by estimating their profitability (or lack thereof). You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 77: Budgeting for RPGs Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (248)

Formalizing Your Game Business Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Fred Hicks, Steve Segedy, Darren Watts and Brennan Taylor Is your company ready to take the next step? We’ll discuss how to turn a tiny game company into a slightly-larger game company. You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 76: Formalizing Your Game Business Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (217)

Matters Of Scale: Running A Small Gaming Business Recorded at Metatopia 2015 Presented by Fred Hicks, Rob Donoghue and Steve Segedy Game publishing is a very different beast depending on how new you are to the industry and how much reach you and your game might have. Small press and independent creators will find that which printers, distributors and fulfillment channels they might use varies wildly depending on their goals and how much risk they’re willing to take. You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 75: Matters of Scale Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (262)

Genius Loci: Your Setting is the Character Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Will Hindmarch Places, rather than protagonists, are often what RPG campaigns have in common because the characters are bespoke but the setting is shared. How does your game’s space inform its setting – and vice versa? How does setting pose and reflect theme? Settings can be characters in their own right, tuned and portrayed through your design to dramatize the themes and issues at the heart of your game. In this seminar, I’ll share some of what I set out to do and some of what I’ve learned designing Project: Dark and its play spaces. You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 74: Genius Loci Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (300)

Opacity, Transparency, and Player Incentives in Your Strategy Board Game Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Gil Hova Do people understand what’s going on in your game? Not just the rules, but can they tell who’s winning? If they should watch out for a dangerous player? If they know exactly how their move will impact their next few turns? Join designer Gil Hova as he discusses transparency and opacity in strategy board games. We will discuss what makes a game mechanism transparent or opaque, how they work (or fail) in existing games, and how to use them to incentivize players to make interesting plays. You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 73: Opacity Transparency [ 52:29 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (264)

Lovecraft WTF Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Julia Ellingboe, Kenneth Hite, Darren Watts & Bill White. H. P. Lovecraft is one of the grandfathers of weird fiction and horror. His racist and anti-Semitic beliefs are no secret. They are the foundation of his fictional worlds. They are interwoven throughout his work and for many readers, impossible to separate from the genius of his writing. Can a Lovecraft-inspired game make his work more accessible? It’s okay to like problematic things. This panel will be neither an attack nor a defense of Lovecraft’s work. In a broad sense, it will be a conversation about how designers might interpret or use source material with themes or images that are problematic. Apologies for sound quality issues. You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 72: Lovecraft WTF Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (295)

Explicit vs Role-Based Knowledge Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Clark Valentine, Shane Harsch and Evan Torner. This seminar poses the question of whether it is possible to support a detailed, knowledge-rich environment for an RPG without creating a situation where the character that should know how to do something actually does not. Where is the balance between detail and role? You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 71: Explicit vs Role-Based Knowledge Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (238)

Editing Rulebooks Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Joshua Yearsley. Your rulebook is the heart of your game, so why not give it the love it deserves? In this seminar, you’ll learn ten best practices for improving the structure, style, and clarity of your rulebook. Got any burning questions about rules craft? Get answers from a professional rulebook editor. Additional references and a copy of the presentation is available at http://joshuayearsley.com/case/ten-things-you-can-do-to-make-your-rulebook-awesome/ You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 70: Editing Rulebooks Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (330)

Social Media Action Steps Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Beth Rimmels. Social media is a crucial marketing step, especially for new and small businesses. Even better, it can cost you little to nothing, but can be confusing or overwhelming. This panel will explain what’s essential, where to start (and on which social media channel), free and low-cost tools that will make your life easier, and how to grow an audience organically. You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 69: Social Media Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (220)

Executing a Smart Crowdfunding Campaign Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Fred Hicks, Joshua A. C. Newman & Hannah Shaffer How do you plan your crowdfunding campaign? How done do you need to be before you open? How do you engage your community? How do you plan for all possible outcomes? Joshua A.C. Newman (Mobile Frame Zero: Rapid Attack and Shock: Social Science Fiction), Fred Hicks (Fate Core, Designers & Dragons, and more), and Hannah Shaffer (Questlandia) share their experiences and then ditch out on their planned talk to address your questions once they realize they can’t afford shipping. Episode 68: Smart Crowdfunding Campaigns Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (222) Special Kickstarter Mentions Sig: The City Between Headspace RPG ******************* You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes

The Best Practices for Information Organization in Tabletop RPGs Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Brennan Taylor, Matt Wilson, Meredith Reitman, Krista White & John Stavropolous Tabletop RPGs serve as both a “let’s play!” and a reference document. RPGs designers and writers often attend to one of these goals at the expense of the other. Come to this panel to learn about professional theories of information organization, best practices for making the important information in your games findable and learn lessons from experienced game designers who have made information organization innovations and mistakes in their own games. You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 67: Information Organization in RPGs [ 57:35 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (282)

Learn RPG Design Redux Recorded at Gencon 2015 Presented by Jason Pitre, Caleb Stokes and Andreas Walters This panel, sponsored by the Indie Game Developer Network is a fresh new exploration of how to start roleplaying game design by focussing on mission statements, the important questions of game design, and other gems. Also an absurd number of references to games including, but not limited to: Inspectres, Headspace, Dog Eat Dog, Paranoia, Fiasco and Apocalypse World. There is a reference to cards with links to a ton of resources? All of that treasure-trove is available over here. You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 66: Learn RPG Design Redux Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (306)

Women in Game Design: Building Networks and Forming Mentorships Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Emily Care-Boss, Julia Ellingboe, Shoshana Kessock, Amanda Valentine & Avonelle Wing. The “gaming industry” has been a brutal place to be a woman this year. Join our esteemed panelists for a conversation about the need for strong support networks and finding mentors in a turbulent and sometimes hostile industry. You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 65: Women in Game Design Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (248)

Dramatic Editing : Creating the Editing Bay Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Will Hindmarch How does your design facilitate dramatic editing at the game table? Do you have strict mechanisms that put editing into the hands of the players or their characters through overt metaphors or in-setting magic? Or do you provide procedures and guidelines for collaborating and revising action during play? Dramatic editing at the table allows for players to propose and explore actions without them necessarily making it “on stage” or committing it to “film” and that can be a messy freedom or a beautiful drudge. Let’s look at ways to facilitate what you want to happen at the table. Note that the sound quality is lousy in the first minute of audio, but it gets much better after that point. You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 64: Dramatic Editing Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (213)

Gaming With, and Designing For, Young Players Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Cam Banks, Lisa Bowman-Steenson, Clark Valentine, Amanda Valentine & Brennan Taylor. Young players can present unique challenges to game designers and adults at the table. Attention spans, play styles, system mastery, and age appropriate subject matter can vary a great deal. Be part of a discussion about making and running games that work for young players. You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 63: Playing with and Designing for Young Players Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (209)

Bisociation, Mashups, the Uncanny, and the Weird Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Kenneth Hite. “Bisociation, Mashups, the Uncanny, and the Weird: Toward an Aesthetic of Setting Bricolage” presented by Kenneth Hite. A dictionary may have been involved. In an age where “everything is mashup”, what makes a game setting more than the sum of its parts? Both the modern “uncanny” and the postmodern “slipstream” depend on subverting or deranging expectations, but how can you get good play without something to play off of? Do Koestler’s “bisociation” or Lovecraft’s “truly weird” help us out or derail us? Designer Kenneth Hite (NIGHT’S BLACK AGENTS, DAY AFTER RAGNAROK) isn’t sure yet, which is why he asks you to join him and think out loud on these topics. You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 62: Bisociation, Mashups, Uncanny, and Weird Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (162)

Coming Up in the Indies: From Newcomer to Company Owner Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Fred Hicks, Shoshana Kessock and Tim Rodriguez. This panel will be a discussion between newer and more established company owners with success stories in the indie RPG world. They are ready to share their insight and tips about becoming part of the publishing world. You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 61: Growing Up In The Indies Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (177)

Accessibility and Disability Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Russell Collins, Elsa Henry, and Shoshana Kessock. The final frontier of game design seems to be accommodating for those who are differently-abled. Designers of games who have a background with being differently-abled will discuss how to design to be more inclusive in this manner. We’ll discuss the foibles, pitfalls and issues associated with designing games that are not accessible. You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 60: Accessibility and Disability Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (151)

Style Guides are your Friend Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Amanda Valentine and John Adamus Style guides are one of the indispensable tools an editor uses to help make your project the best it can be. Learn more about them and the other must-have tools an editor uses, and find out why following the style guide can mean the difference between making “a thing” and “a game”. Episode 59: Style Guides are your Friend Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (204) You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes

Gaming As Other: Moving Beyond Tokenism Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Misha Bushyager, Julia Ellingboe, Ajit George & Mark Diaz Truman John Stavropolous moderates as our panelists continue the discussion about the challenges faced by ethnic minorities and people of color within the hobby. In this panel, they will tackle how gaming companies, designers, conventions and communities can effectively bring greater diversity to their ranks, mentor emerging voices, and share leadership roles. Episode 58: Moving Beyond Tokenism Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (165) You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes

So You’re Making Your First Game Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by John Adamus and Mark Richardson. Learn from a pair of first time game makers and industry professionals the perils, frustrations and strategies it takes to put together your first game from start to finish. Episode 57: So You're Making Your First Game Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (308) You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes

What Editors Do Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by John Adamus, Jeremy Morgan & Amanda Valentine. Cleaning up your tortured syntax and fixing your punctuation is only the beginning. A good editor can help you improve the presentation of your game on many levels You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes Episode 56: What Editors Do Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (168)

How to Succeed at Conventions Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Join veteran conventioneer, Avonelle Wing, for a conversation on attending trade shows and conventions as an industry professional. Talk about identifying and setting goals, representing yourself and your brand and otherwise setting yourself up for success. Episode 55: How to Succeed at Conventions Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (165) You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes

Playtest Feedback Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Cam Banks, Tim Rodriguez & Jay Treat We all know playtesting is vital, but how do you take the results of playtests and apply them to your game? Three industry veterans explain what works for them. Episode 54: Playtest Feedback Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (176) You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes

Cartography of Fictional Worlds Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Kenneth Hite, Hal Mangold & Mark Richardson Learn from a panel of veteran cartographers and game designers the techniques they use to make maps of fictional worlds. A map from Mark Richardson about renaissance superheroes from The Enlightened Man. Episode 53: Cartography of Fictional Worlds Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (231) You can subscribe to us here! RSS Feed iTunes

Work Together AND Keep Your Friends: Healthy Publishing Collaboration Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Joshua A. C. Newman, Epidiah Ravachol & Hannah Shaffer. Collaborating on a creative project is great! You get double the creativity, double the productivity, and the benefit of mutual support. Nothing could go wrong, right? Whether you’re collaborating with friends or strangers, there are some important strategies to keep your collaboration healthy and productive. What happens when one person is doing the majority of the work? Do you need a contract when working with your friends? Who owns the intellectual property that you produce? What happens if you become an overnight success? We’ll share strategies, horror stories, and success stories about creative collaboration. Episode 52: Collaborating with Friends Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (192)

Episode 51 – RPG Podcasting and Design This special episode is a crossover with The Jankcast and the Tabletop Superhighway podcasts. In this episode, I am speaking with Todd (Jankcast), Alex (Tabletop Superhighway) and Larry (Tabletop Superhighway) about how RPG Podcasting interacts with design, and what we see from our particular vantage points. Welcome to the RPG Design Jankcast Superhighway. Episode 51: RPG Podcasting and Design Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (181)

Computer Hacking in Games Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Shane Harsch, Clark Valentine & Tim Rodriguez Our panel discusses the actual process/stages of intrusion (what we call the “Kill Chain”) and then facilitates a discussion about the challenges of turning that real-world process into an actionable and fun gaming experience. Episode 50: Computer Hacking in Games [ 56:31 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (267)

Gmless RPGs and Other Variations Recorded at Metatopia 2013 Presented by John Stavropoulos and Brennan Taylor Role playing games have game masters, right? Well, not necessarily – plenty of interesting games have chosen not to assign that role, or share it between some or all of the players at the table. What goes into the decision whether to have one, many or no game masters? Episode 49: GMless RPGs and Other Variations Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (221)

The Writer’s Workshop Recorded at Metatopia 2013 Presented by John Adamus. Here’s a chance for authors and creators to get answers to their writing questions as they work on developing their first, or tenth project. Questions often include issues of layout, editing costs, the best way to write to the reader, and the best way to take an idea from the abstract idea phase to the down-on-paper phase Episode 48: The Writer's Workshop [ 1:26:30 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (286)

Playtesting Brutally Recorded at Metatopia 2013 Presented by John Stavropoulos and Dave Chalker. Your best friend, your spouse, and your grandma all say they like your game, so it must be ready to be published, right? WRONG. The most refined games come from an extended playtesting process, where your decisions are challenged and every mechanic is put through the burning forge of brutal playtesting. Learn how to examine games of your own design and others for ways to streamline, balance, and otherwise turn into a better game by “killing your darlings” and learning what red flags to watch out for in the playtesting process that could sink you after publication. Episode 47: Playtesting Brutally Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (187)

Least System Necessary Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Cam Banks, Rob Donoghue, Clark Valentine & Stephen Hood. How much system does your game *need*? We’ll be examining very minimal systems like Risus, CORE, Amber DRPG and so on as a starting point for design, always coming back to the question of whether you are adding things to your system because it need it, or because you’re “Supposed To”. Minimal Game system references to: Risus Fate Accelerated WARP System Episode 46: The Least System Necessary Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (272)

Icons and Anchors Recorded at Metatopia 2013 Presented by Rob Donoghue & Jason Pitre. Icons and anchors are fascinating pieces of RPG design technology, establishing people and organizations within settings that are strongly tied to player characters and to each other. Let’s talk about how these can be effectively used in your own game designs. References include: 1) My own summary of the mechanic: Examining Icons in Design 2) Rob’s ample blog discussion: [1][2][3] [4] [5] [6]. 3) Chris Chin’s discussion of Keys, in the other excellent article. 4) And the economic devastation of the Identify skill over at Project Multiplexer Episode 45: Icons and Anchors Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (198)

Succeeding at Conventions and Trade Show Recorded at Metatopia 2013 Presented by Avonelle Wing Conventions are overwhelming, and setting yourself up for success involves many components: Branding yourself for visibility, interacting appropriately with the convention, maximizing the impact of your contact with your public, and other ideas. Double Exposure Senior Vice President, Avonelle Wing, will share her experiences, both as a convention organizer and as an attendee representing her own brands. Episode 44: Succeeding at Conventions and Trade Shows Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (153)

Book Design 101 – First Principles Recorded at Metatopia 2013 Presented by Fred Hicks and Hal Mangold The panelists look at the book as an object of design. Whether it’s conveying rules or setting, the look and feel of the book itself is crucial to the experience of play. Our experts will draw on their own experiences to explain why books look the way they do. Episode 43: Book Design 101 - First Principles Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (192)

Adventure Design as Technology Recorded at Metatopia 2014 Presented by Cam Banks & Rob Donoghue. We started with a map and a key. There have been structural improvements since then: boxed text, wandering monsters, plot point adventures, hard and soft points, personality-driven dungeons, mad libs plots and many more. This process has not been rigors, so the spread of these ideas has been haphazard and without the thought that’s gone into rules improvements. That is a shame. Take some time to talk about these technologies and how they can help you make better adventures. Episode 42: Adventure Design as Technology Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (235)