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Episodes
The best panels and seminars about analog game design & publishing.
Episodes
Saturday Jan 14, 2017
Saturday Jan 14, 2017
Cultural Mechanics
Recorded at Metatopia 2015
Presented by Jason Pitre, Julia Ellingboe, and Mark Diaz Truman.
Games are part of our cultures, and the rules we create reflect our own backgrounds. In this roundtable, we explore how mechanics can reflect and/or interrogate culture. How can mechanics explore other people’s experiences? What assumptions do we bring to the game-design table?
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Sunday Jan 08, 2017
Sunday Jan 08, 2017
Cyber Infiltration Hotsheet: Prepping to GM a Cyberheist
Recorded at Metatopia 2015
Presented by Shane Harsch, Tim Rodriguez & Mark Richardson.
What a cyberpunk GM should consider when prepping a cyberheist to keep the drama at least nominally grounded in reality (watch Mr. Robot before attending)
This is a follow up to Episode 50, the panel on Hacking in RPGs.
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Thursday Dec 08, 2016
Thursday Dec 08, 2016
Superhero Games Across the Multiverse
Recorded at Metatopia 2015
Presented by Dave Chalker, Cam Banks, Darren Watts & Christopher Badell
Superheroes are more popular than ever in the movies and on TV, and there are more games about superheroes than there’s ever been. What makes a superhero game a superhero game? How do you make your superhero game distinct? What are the most important aspects of a superhero game to make it feel heroic?
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Friday Dec 02, 2016
Friday Dec 02, 2016
A Designer’s Guide to Podcasts
Recorded at Metatopia 2015
Presented by James D’Amato, Alex Roberts & Kat Kuhl.
A Designer’s Guide to Podcasts” presented by . Getting your ideas in front of people can be one of the most difficult and unpleasant parts of game design. So people love design, but hate talking about what they are doing. Thankfully there is a community of people who are dedicated to talking about games in public spaces, they are called podcasters. Topics will include: Proper etiquette for self promotion, how to choose which shows to target, how to communicate effectively about your game, how to ask for what you want, how to purchase an ad, how to write an ad, whether you want to be a guest or a topic, how to make actual play easy and effective flattery.
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Friday Nov 25, 2016
Friday Nov 25, 2016
Promoting Your Game Through Podcasting and Other Media
Recorded at Metatopia 2015
Presented by Chris Perrin, Tara Clapper, Chris Bell & Mario Dongu.
Gaming has a rich, vibrant media that really enjoys advocating for new games and new game designers. However, it can be hard for game designers to find gamer media outlets and even harder to know what to say. This panel will look at ways game designers can find gaming media and promote themselves, presented by the This Just In… crew.
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Friday Nov 11, 2016
Friday Nov 11, 2016
Structuring Game Texts
Recorded at Metatopia 2015
Presented by Jason Pitre, Robert Bohl, Jay Treat and Cat Tobin.
You’ve designed your game, you’ve playtested it, and you’ve decided you want to publish it as a text (either for free download or sale). How do you structure that text so that it will draw readers in and make the game easy to understand the first time, and easy to use as a reference later?
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Thursday Nov 03, 2016
Thursday Nov 03, 2016
Why do you Hate your Readers and Players?
Recorded at Metatopia 2015
Presented by John Adamus
When writing a game or project, it’s important that the language be clear and enjoyable, not just showing off how smart the author is. Learn techniques to keep your project readable and enjoyable.
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Friday Oct 21, 2016
Friday Oct 21, 2016
Ten (More) Ways To Make Your Rulebook Awesome
Recorded at Metatopia 2015
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. Did you come last year? These tips and tricks will be all new! Got any burning questions about rules craft? Get answers from a professional rulebook editor.
Link to the full presentation here!
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Monday Oct 10, 2016
Monday Oct 10, 2016
What an Editor can do for you
Recorded at Metatopia 2015
Presented by John Adamus
Editors are here to help. It’s their job. They’re tasked with making your project better. So why not use one? Get answers to what they do and how they can benefit you. Trust us, everyone needs one. Really
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Thursday Sep 29, 2016
Thursday Sep 29, 2016
GenCon Playtesting Panel
Recorded at Gencon 2016
Presented by Jason Pitre, Emily Care Boss, and Mark Richardson
Playtesting RPGs is a difficult process. In this panel, sponsored by the Indie Game Developer Network, we will teach you how to effectively test games as a designer and as a player. Learn about types of playtests, the best kind of playtesters, and how to offer constructive feedback.
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Sunday Sep 18, 2016
Sunday Sep 18, 2016
Gearheads: Clever RPG Mechanics
Recorded at Gencon 2016
Presented by Jason Pitre, and Emily Care Boss
Roleplaying game design is a hotbed of innovation, and this panel is a place to talk about some of the latest and greatest mechanics for games. We will talk about fronts, countdown clocks, gm-less play, advantage, and other mechanics to sink your teeth into.
Links and Games!
- Romance Trilogy, including Breaking the Ice, Shooting the Moon, and Under my Skin, by Emily Care Boss (http://www.blackgreengames.com/lcn/2016/7/24/romance-trilogy)
- Indie Groundbreaker Awards (http://www.igdnonline.com/indie-groundbreaker-awards-winners/ )
- 14 Days, by Hannah Shaffer (http://makebigthings.com/14-days-a-game-about-life-with-migraines/ )
- 183 Days, by James Stuart and Sara Williamson (http://www.drivethrucards.com/product/144510/183-Days)
- Fall of Magic, by Ross Cowman (http://heartofthedeernicorn.com/product/fall-of-magic-scroll-edition/ )
- 10 Candles, by Stephen Dewey (http://cavalrygames.com/)
- Dread, by Epidiah Ravachol (https://dreadthegame.wordpress.com/about-dread-the-game/)
- The The Dread Geas Of Duke Vulku by Epidiah Ravachol (http://www.worldswithoutmaster.com/the-dread-geas-of-duke-vulku/ )
- Microscope and Kingdom by Ben Robbins (http://www.lamemage.com/)
- Downfall, by Caroline Hobbs (https://lessthanthreegames.com/downfall/)
- Usagi Yojimbo, by Sanguine Productions (http://drivethrurpg.com/product/50310/USAGI-YOJIMBO-ROLEPLAYING-GAME-Legacy)
- Blood Red Sands, by Ralph Mazza (http://www.galileogames.com/blood-red-sands/)
- Burning Wheel, by Luke Crane (https://www.burningwheel.com/)
- Apocalypse World, by Meguey and Vincent Baker (http://apocalypse-world.com/)
- Dungeon World, by Sage Latorra and Adam Koebel (http://www.dungeon-world.com/)
- Montseigeur 1244, by Frederik J. Jensen (http://thoughtfulgames.com/montsegur1244/ )
- Epyllion, by Marissa Kelly (http://www.magpiegames.com/epyllion/
- Posthuman Pathways, by Jason Pitre (http://www.genesisoflegend.com/product/posthuman-pathways/)
- Play with Intent, by Emily Care Boss and Matthijs Holter (https://playwithintent.wordpress.com/)
- Nightwitches by Jason Morningstar (http://bullypulpitgames.com/)
- The Warren by Marshall Miller (http://bullypulpitgames.com/)
- Monsterhearts, by Avery Alder (http://buriedwithoutceremony.com/monsterhearts/)
- Sagas of the Icelanders, by Gregor Vulga (http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/product.php?productid=19311&page=1)
- Headspace, by Mark Richardson (http://www.greenhatdesigns.com/?project=head-space)
- Dream Askew, by Avery Alder (http://buriedwithoutceremony.com/dream-askew/ )
- The Quiet Year, by Avery Alder (http://buriedwithoutceremony.com/the-quiet-year/ )
- Steal Away Jordan, by Julia Ellingboe (http://www.lulu.com/shop/julia-bond-ellingboe/steal-away-jordan/ebook/product-17470217.html )
- Blades in the Dark, by John Harper (http://www.onesevendesign.com/ and http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/170689/Blades-in-the-Dark-Digital-Edition-Early-Access )
- Swords without Master, by Epidiah Ravachol (http://www.worldswithoutmaster.com )
- Mars Colony, by Tim Koppang http://www.tckroleplaying.com/marscolony/
- Misericorde, by Emily Care Boss (http://www.blackgreengames.com/shop/misericorde-pdf)
- Fools Journey, by Stentor Danielson (http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/154421/The-Fools-Journey)
- Spark Roleplaying Game, Jason Pitre (http://www.genesisoflegend.com/product/spark/)
- Bubblegumshoe, Evil Hat Productions (http://www.evilhat.com/home/)
- Seven Wonders, by Pelgrane Press (http://site.pelgranepress.com/index.php/seven-wonders-a-story-games-anthology-2/)
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Friday Sep 09, 2016
Friday Sep 09, 2016
Different Voices: Diverse RPGs
Recorded at Gencon 2016
Presented by Jason Pitre, and Shoshanna Kessock
Roleplaying games offer a fantastic window into the lives of others, and let us see the world through different eyes. This panel, sponsored by the Indie Game Developer Network, will discuss some of these games that bring diverse voices and creators to the forefront.
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Thursday Sep 01, 2016
Thursday Sep 01, 2016
Heartwrenchers: Emotional RPGs
Recorded at Gencon 2016
Presented by Jason Pitre, Shoshanna Kessock and Emily Care Boss
The very best roleplaying games will tug on the heart strings during play. Whether the games make you feel love, grief or rage, they make for a memorable play experience. We will discuss these emotion-rich games, and what makes them tick like a broken heart.
Apologies for poor sound quality on this recording.
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.
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Saturday Aug 20, 2016
Saturday Aug 20, 2016
Introduction to RPG Publishing
Recorded at Gencon 2016
Presented by Jason Pitre, Shoshanna Kessock and Caleb Stokes
Want to publish a roleplaying game? This panel, sponsored by the Indie Game Developer Network, is here to get started, avoiding the hidden pitfalls. Learn about Kickstarter, budgeting, distribution, printing, and the other black arts of publishing.
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.
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Monday Aug 15, 2016
Monday Aug 15, 2016
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.
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Thursday Aug 11, 2016
Thursday Aug 11, 2016
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!
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Saturday Jul 30, 2016
Saturday Jul 30, 2016
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!
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Sunday Jul 24, 2016
Sunday Jul 24, 2016
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.
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Sunday Jul 17, 2016
Sunday Jul 17, 2016
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.
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Saturday Jul 09, 2016
Saturday Jul 09, 2016
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.
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Friday Jul 01, 2016
Friday Jul 01, 2016
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?
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Friday Jun 24, 2016
Friday Jun 24, 2016
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
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Friday Jun 17, 2016
Friday Jun 17, 2016
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?
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Tuesday Jun 07, 2016
Tuesday Jun 07, 2016
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?
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Saturday May 28, 2016
Saturday May 28, 2016
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.
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