RPG Design Panelcast

Episode 338: Keepsake Games

Recorded at Metatopia Online 2021

Presented by Jason Cox, Shing Yin Khor, Jeeyon Shim.

Keepsake Games, Art, Education and Equity. Keepsake games, which generate material objects as a result of play, are a fascinating tool for classroom use. What if the experience of educational games was visually shaped by the students? How would this affect their engagement and retention of content? How can a game like this thrive in the quantitative systems that dominate education?

Episode 337: The Aether and Beyond

Recorded at Metatopia Online 2021

Presented by Richard Ruane, Diogo Nogueira, Sarah Blunt, Daniel Wilson and Noora Rose.

 

Cold, scary, empty, and filled with radiation, we all know the real void of outer space isn't a friendly place. But what opportunities do we get when we create settings in a different outer space, one we see in pulp novels, weird fiction, planetary romances, cosmic horror, and early tabletop games and supplements such as Spelljammer or Space 1999? What makes creating a space fantasy or weird space setting different from creating a classic fantasy or space opera? What themes can creators explore when we look at space in weird and fantastical ways?

Episode 333: Creatively Limited

Recorded at Metatopia Online 2021

 

Presented by Sen-Foong Lim, Paul Stefko, Moe Poplar and Quinn Murphy. Jonathan Lavallee was unable to attend for medical reasons.

Analysis paralysis exists in creativity! When we put up limits and restrictions, we find new ways to solve problems and be creative. This panel will talk about what works for them when putting up walls around their creative process. 

Episode 323: A New Designer’s Toolkit

Recorded at Metatopia Online 2020

Presented by Kyle Ott & Riley Parks.

This panel will focus on tips targeted to those who are beginning their design careers. The presentation will include advice on how to approach a publisher and conduct publisher research. Our panelists will give new designers advice on how to get unstuck and resources to help them with their first designs.

Episode 321: The Care and Feeding of your Creative Self

Recorded at Metatopia Online 2020

Presented by Roberta Taylor, Paul Saxberg, Kimberley Lam, Shoshana Kessock.

How do you keep a creative spark alive when everything is coming to pieces around you? This panel will discuss some practical ways to nurture your creative self when you feel like you can't possibly make anything.

Episode 317: Different Traditions of Indie Publishing

Recorded at Metatopia Online 2020

Presented by Jason Pitre, Fiona Geist, Darren Watts, Viditya Voleti.

Indie game publishing is a strange craft and the design communities approach the process differently. In this panel, we will explore the similarities and divergences in publishing approaches from a Story Game, Sworddream, Trad and OSR perspectives. Let's share our knowledge and get weird.

Episode 316: How to Make and Sell RPG Adventures

Recorded at Metatopia Online 2020

Presented by Graham Walmsley, Christopher McGlothlin, Darren Watts, Lynne Hardy, Alex Helms.

It's almost a truism that it's very hard to make RPG adventures, scenarios and modules that will sell unless you're talking about the very biggest games. Is that really true? Let's share some tricks and tips on this panel!

Episode 313: Should Games Make You Feel Bad?

Recorded at Metatopia Online 2020

Presented by Tam Myaing, Doug Levandowski, Roberta Taylor, Jessica Creane.

 

As designers we strive to make games "fun", but they can also be a vehicle for other emotions, such as fear, sadness, disgust, shame, etc. From Brenda Romero's Train to Marc Gertz's Imperial, we will explore several games that intentionally or unintentionally make you feel bad

Episode 308: Games Are Art

Recorded at Metatopia Online 2020

Presented by Curt Covert, Julie Ahern.

Games Are Art: Designing Through An Artist's Lens. When you think of art, you think of music, theater, painting, sculpting, writing, film. And at the heart of each is an artist, who uses their talents, creativity, skill and intelligence to craft something that never existed before, with the intent of sharing a vision, a feeling, a message, a sense of discovery or connection. The games we create are no less an art form, and we designers no less than artists. What we craft brings people together for a shared experience and has the ability to do more than challenge us mentally, pass the time or entertain, but to connect emotionally with people. Let us view game design through an artistic lens, to look past the mathematical underpinnings, and dive into what makes games a uniquely human endeavor.

Episode 305 : Lowering the Barrier to Entry to Trad RPGs

Recorded at Metatopia Online 2020

Presented by Will Sobel, Beth Rimmels.

For better or worse, traditional RPGs have a reputation for crunch and complication that can be scary for new players. How can designers and publishers make their games less imposing both in substance and appearance? 

Episode 303: New Tools for Old Hands

Recorded at Metatopia Online 2020

Presented by Olivia Montoya, Donna Prior, Avonelle Wing.

 

Discord. Itch. Twitch. If you blinked and suddenly your peers sound like they’re talking about new horsemen of a very minor apocalypse, we’re here to help you catch up. There are a plethora of new(ash) platforms available to empower your gaming experiences. Avie’s here as our token dinosaur, while Donna and Olivia bring the knowledge

Episode 301: Games, Gamefeel and Umami

Recorded at Metatopia Online 2020

Presented by James Wallis, Cat Tobin, Kieron Gillen, Jacob Jaskov.

We all know how certain games feel in play and how they make us feel, but as designers and critics we don't have a set of words to describe it. Do we need an experiential vocabulary of play, and what would one look like?

Episode 297: Accessible Core Mechanics and Horror

Recorded at Metatopia Online 2020

Presented by Anne Ratchat, Spider Perry, Misha Bushyager, Mids Meinberg, Pamela Punzalan.

For all the merits of the genre, it is not an exaggerated statement to say that horror is the least accessible genres in analog gaming. Between mechanics that require physical ability, the habitual use of monsters whose descriptions sound uncomfortably close to home, and the widespread misunderstanding of how mental health and mental illnesses work, a large swath of players are alienated before the game even begins. In this panel, we will use the recurrent inaccessible themes in horror to explore how one can build a more accessible game from the core mechanics out. 

Episode 290: Tactile Games

Recorded at Metatopia 2020 Online

Presented by Avraham Yosef Baez, Bronwyn Sperling, Emily Care Boss

 

Role-playing games that integrate tactile components and mechanics allow our other senses to engage in play. Although COVID put a pause on many games that offer tactile experiences, join our conversation about what we are excited to have in the future. This panel will discuss how these little touches (see what we did there?) help enhance the game experience, how could they hurt it, and what considerations should be thought of when designing a game with tactile components. Whether it is sewing, stacking, smelling, or sounds, come join us and sigh about what we long to get back to. 

Episode 282: Canada is not a Northern Suburb of the USA

Recorded at Metatopia Online 2020

Presented by Jason Pitre, Sen-Foong Lim, Nicole Winchester, Christoph Sapinsky.

For Canadian game designers and pros, it's pretty common to get lumped in with U.S. designers. After all, it's all North America, right? The cultural differences between the two countries often gets lost, especially when discussing the elements that inform game design and aesthetics. Our panelists will talk about the specific parts of their Canadian experience that affect their game development work. 

Episode 279: What We Mean, When We Talk About Lyric Games

Recorded at Metatopia Online 2020

Presented by Maria Mison, Casey Johnson, Jay Dragon.

What are Lyric Games exactly? And why are they deemed an important body of work, both in a personal and game scene level? What makes a game 'Lyric'? Additionally, our panelists share tips on how to go about the process of creating and sharing such games - fever dreams, love letters, rituals and treatise calling to be born. The panel will also have a segment for questions. 

Episode 274: Running a Successful Virtual Playtest Group

Presented at Metatopia Online 2020

Presented by Tam Myaing, David Gordon, Chris Backe, Kevin Dunkelberger.

When the COVID lockdowns began, the NYC Playtest Group was one of the first to move to online playtesting. Since then we have run over 50 sessions since mid April, and have also helped other gaming conventions with running games virtually. In this panel we will discuss with moderators from other groups around the world, on the the lessons we've learned in the trenches in running a successful virtual playtest group. 

Episode 273: Running Games on Roll20

Recorded at Metatopia Online 2020

Presented by Chris O'Neill, Stephanie Bryant, Warren Morrison, Walt Ciechanowski.

Roll20 provides players and GMs with a popular virtual tabletop for games. How can you best take advantage of it as a player, a designer or a publisher? Our experts and power-users will bring you up to speed on the service.

Episode 269: Heartwarming Gaming During the Plague Times

Recorded at Metatopia 2020

Presented by Rach Shelkey and Jaqueline Bryk.

It's time once again to talk about happy, uplifting games! How do you make space for pastoral gaming while the world is going through a global health crisis? How does one find joy when the long term outlook changes by the minute? Our panelists will share their thoughts and personal experiences on exploring the heartwarming through the plague.

Episode 268: Converting to Online Play

Recorded at Metatopia 2020

Presented by Vivian Abraham and Jason Cox.

Some games are easy to play online, and some have robust platforms to support them. But what if your game involves group singing? Or social mingling? Or some other mechanic that is harder to do online? Let's share some ideas for converting these trickier games to be enjoyable virtually! 

Episode 263 - Games in Education

Recorded at Metatopia 2019

Presented by Jennifer Gutterman, Shawn Roske, Tim Blank.

Are you an educator wanting to gamify your classroom? Are you building a traditional education game? Do you want your game to be fun but also teach the players about something? This is where we can discuss ideas, workflows, deployments and examples of games in education, gamification in the classroom or building games that teach.

Episode 255 - Publish your own Games!

Recorded at Metatopia 2019

Presented by Meguey Baker & Jason Pitre.

Publishing your game doesn't need to be daunting. There's work involved, but with a diverse tool box and a clear understanding of your publishing goals, publishing might be more attainable than you imagine.

Episode 254 - Science in RPGs and Larps

Recorded at Metatopia 2019

Presented by Mary Georgescu, Sharang Biswas, Brianna Shuttleworth.

Can we get nitty gritty with players and talk about science? Can we as designers build science into our games in fun ways that do not lend themselves to sci- fiction but a truer representation and reflection of our current or past understandings of the way our universe, our earth works? We will be talking about how we designed Starry Messenger, The Moon Stares at Us in Shame, and Magischola with science in mind and their usage and representations of science.

Episode 253 - Holding Space for Teens

Recorded at Metatopia 2019

Presented by Meguey Baker, Caleb Stokes, Clark Valentine, Edward LaValley.

Teenagers bring innovation, creativity and hard questions to the game table. Our panelists will talk about how to hold space for everything that makes gaming with them magical.

Episode 252 - A Dive into the Theory of RPGs as a Communications Medium

Recorded at Metatopia 2019

Presented by Christopher O'Neill, Adriel Wilson, Cat Tobin, Misha Bushyager.

Role playing as a HOBBY continues to evolve and mature. Has role-playing now gotten big enough to be considered a MEDIUM? Join us for a lively and passionate discussion on the concept that role-playing has become more than just games, but a medium - a channel for communication, information, and entertainment. In this panel, we will look at whether role-playing is a medium, and if so, what that means for our hobby. The panelists all represent different aspects of designing and publishing role playing games and bring diverse and interesting points of view around the topic.