I just finished No Loyal Knight, the debut novel by my pal John Wick (of Wicked Dead Brewing Company fame, among many other feats of game design and narration). I had hoped to buy it at Gen Con, but John had sold out by the time I made it back to his booth late on the last day of the …
In the Dorm Room
My friend Dave Rodriguez (of High Voltage and Starkweather fame) sent me an invitation to a screening for the new indie film he helped make in Rockford, IL, this year. It’s showing in Park Ridge, IL, near Chicago, on November 12. If you’re in the area, you should check out The Dorm Room in its first (and so far only) …
New Open Design Project Launches
Having enjoyed the first Open Design project, which resulted in the fantastic Steam & Brass, Wolfgang Baur is ready to leap into the breach once more. Chip in as a patron at any level, and you can get in on the ground floor of the project now. Start by helping to choose what it will be.
Marvel Meets the Soaps
I’ve long explained to my wife that superhero comics are the male equivalent to the soap opera: continuing storylines, implausible plots, cartoonishly drawn (literally and metaphorically) characters, and over-the-top dialog. Now, according to ICv2.com, Marvel helps me put another nail in that argument’s coffin by teaming up with Guiding Light to help promote each other. Newsarama has an interview with …
Indie Game Development
Greg Costikyan of Manifesto Games (a venture started with my fellow Alliterate Johnny Wilson) posted a column about how the budgets of computer games have grown to the point that publisher can no longer afford to experiment much anymore. You could take his points and apply them to tabletop games almost verbatim. His closing says it best: I don’t mean …
Steam & Brass Released
Today, as a patron of Wolfgang Baur‘s Open Design experiment, I received my copy of Steam & Brass, the first fruit of my fellow Alliterate‘s efforts. At first glance, it looks fantastic, and I can’t wait to dig into it farther. Wolf’s a great adventure designer, and the patronage system gave me a chance to peer over his shoulder as …
Putting Lowder to the Flames
The fine people at Flames Rising have posted an interview with my pal James Lowder. Jim is probably the best anthology editor in gaming tie-in fiction. (That’s a short list to begin with, but he’s squarely at the top.) If you’re interested in writing, editing, and working in the gaming-related fiction, the article is well worth the read.
Dungeon Master on Stage
Speaking of odd roleplaying-related things, has anyone out there ever seen Dungeon Master? It’s a live-action fantasy RPG played on a stage with professional actors. They select a party from the audience and then improv an adventure for each show. It sounds like a blast, although for me it’ll have to wait until the next time I’m in LA.
One Ring to Rule Them All
At least if you’re talking about roleplaying game systems, that is. Check out this d20 ring. The seller has all sorts of other dice sizes available too. It’s nothing a modeler couldn’t do with a cheap ring and some super-glue, but it’s darn funny.
Marvel MMORGP from Cryptic
ICv2.com reports that Cryptic Studios, makers of the hit MMORPGs CIty of Heroes/City of Villians, have the license to produce an MMORPG set in the Marvel Comics universe. Yowza!