September 15, 2018
Special Episode
Presented by Jason Pitre, Anna Meade, Sarah 'Doombringer' Richardson, and Eloy Lasanta.
In this special episode, most the panelists from the previous gencon panel get together to answer questions posed by attendees. The questions on offer are...
Q1: I've got a game, it's playtested: how do I get to market?
Q2: Outside of the mechanical or thematic design of the game, which part of development and release is the most challenging for you, and in what way?
Q3: What is the best value services to ensure a successful kickstarter?
Q4: How should one go about acquiring a publisher for their design?
Q5: How do you balance an RPG across as many levels as possible when the system is rather complex? Is it just a long slog or is there a faster method than what I currently use?
Q6: How to turn a story/setting concept into a workable game system?
Q7: I'd love any advice specifically on making Powered by the Apocalypse games.
Q8: What is the single most important element of an RPG system that can determine its success or failure?
Q9: How technology is changing the Design and Publishing process?
Enjoy this special episode!
September 8, 2018
Recorded at GenCon 2018
Presented by Jason Pitre, Anna Meade, Jerry Grayson, Eloy Lasanta, and Sarah "Doombringer" Richardson.
This panel serves as a welcome introduction to the twin fields of roleplaying game design, and publishing. It features a long discussion on how and why we design games, how games have to be about something, and how we can practically turn our ideas into products. This was a two hour panel full of brilliant insights from the panel speakers and has some fun banter to boot.
Note that the audience submitted a number of questions in advance of the panel, which we will be responding to in next week's episode!
September 1, 2018
Recorded at Metaopia 2017
Presented by Whitney Delaglio, Brand Robins
Sexy Times in-game can be serious business, but it doesn't have to be! Join us for a discussion about using artwork and tone to encourage fun and playful exploration of intimacy in games.
This episode coincides with the release of the kickstarter for Prism! Check it out here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2026929256/prism-1
August 25, 2018
Recorded at Metatopia 2017
Presented by Gil Hova.
"Player in Three Persons - Studying the Theme/Mechanism Join of Board Games". "This game is so immersive!" "This theme is pasted on!" "Should designers start with theme or mechanism?" Lots of board game fans like to debate theme and mechanism. This panel is a technical deep-dive into the fascinating join of theme and mechanism of a commercial board game, and why the two don't always get along.
August 18, 2018
Recorded at Metatopia 2017
Presented by Jack Parra, Leslie Casilli, Lissanne Lake
"The Artist's Process: Game Illustration From Start To Finish." presented by Jack Parra, Leslie Casilli, Lissanne Lake. Our panelists go over the process they go through when creating a finished illustration, and the different approaches they take. This panel is about helping artists of all levels improve.
August 11, 2018
Recorded at Metatopia 2017
Presented by Tim Hutchings and Evan Torner.
Criticism and Feedback: How to Talk about that Game You Just Played. How do we talk about games in a productive, useful way? The panel will discuss methods and tools for giving useful, critical feedback for the game play experience. We will introduce critical methods from the creative arts and inclusivity-promoting discussion tools pioneered by Games to Gather in Portland, Oregon.
August 4, 2018
Recorded at Metatopia 2017
Presented by Steve Radabaugh, Beth Rimmels, Jason Pitre
Developing A Marketing Plan For Your Game. We will be taking what Marketing Genius Seth Godin teaches about Marketing and helping you apply it to your game/brand. You will work in a small group to discuss how the information applies to you, and you will fill out a marketing plan template.
Note: This is a shorter panel as the second half was dedicated to filling in the template.
Marketing Plan Questions
- What Change are you trying to make?
- Who are you trying to change?
- What is the promise that you’re making?
- Pick 2 desireable things to the people you are trying to change. What is your position on these axes? What are you committed to being on behalf of the people you are trying to change?
- People like us do things like this. Who is the US, and what is the THIS?
- Why don’t people choose you?
July 28, 2018
Recorded at Metatopia 2017
Presented by John Adamus, Jacqueline Bryk.
Sales Pitches That Set A Positive Tone.. Building a pitch that captures the atmosphere of the game in a positive, rather than exclusionary way is a huge part of growing an audience and a community around your work. It sets a tone and conveys a lot of info. Let's give you a roadmap for success!
July 21, 2018
Recorded at Metatopia 2017
Presented by Joshua Yearsley.
Writing Rulebooks: An Introduction and Workshop. Trying to write your first (or seventh) rulebook? Want to build a solid foundation on rules writing fundamentals? Ready to get your hands dirty with real rules revisions? This is for you. We'll first explore why rulebooks are so difficult to get right, discuss the goals of the rulebook itself, and then jump into the fundamentals. You'll learn a new language for describing rules, the theory and application of rules structure, and tons of tips and tricks to improve flow. After the talk, we'll break into groups and put these skills to use, workshopping badly written rules into better ones, guided by a professional rules writer and editor. This talk + workshop was first given as part of a course on game design taught by Rob Daviau, co-designer of Pandemic Legacy, at Hampshire College, where it received a great response (though the METATOPIA version probably won't give you college credit)
July 14, 2018
Recorded at Metatopia 2017
Presented by Jack Parra, Scott Bowmanchester, Lissanne Lake
Get art for your game without breaking the bank. Getting high-quality art is key to making a product look professional. How do publishers do it without breaking the bank? Our panel makes with the tips and tricks.
