What is this table-top role-playing thing? How does it work, what does it do, what kind of designs do which things? I've got some ideas, and so do you. This is where we talk about it - like this!
Some of my posts here present a concept, game title, or a historical hobby event for discussion in the comments, so join in with a will. You'll also find interviews and conversations.
I'm also recording what I guess I call "labs," which are organized and prepared at the Patreon. I run them on Mondays using Discord, and anyone pledging there can participate when they feel like it.
I've finally caught up on interviews! This one is recent, conducted/presented at Twitch at March 29, just a few days ago. It's part of a series on influential or notable game designers and publishers, and at some point, clearly, someone blew a fuse and included me.
Here's the link at Twitch TV.
I don't know if it has anything to do with Adept Play as such, but I've been receiving a steady arrival of interview requests for a while - even or mostly, for some reason, from people I don't know even a little. I like it, mysterious as its cause may be.
A lot of interviews showed up recently. For this one, I was contacted by Nune, who is studying entrepeneurship in Rotterdam. (rhymes with "rune," one syllable)
His questions included what does it mean to be a role-playing publisher, what do you have to contend with, what should you consider, and especially, the term he used, market segmentation. That last is the part that we didn't get to, but set the context to ask sensible questions about it.
During the “Playing with the pool” curriculum, we had a discussion about what “setting” is and is not. What it is: the effect of playing in-game situations. What it’s not: the body of lore written by various people outside of play.
My thoughts on teaching are taking a new form. I began designing courses since just before starting Adept Play, but hadn't settled on a format until Giano Academy contacted me. Their required structure helped a lot. Five two-hour sessions seems very brief to me, but for internet and practical reasons, it's actually really good as the minimum possible. It also forces me to focus quite hard, always a good thing.
Over the last few weeks, Jon, Sean and I have been playing a game of the Pool in a fantasy setting initially slapped together using a single picture as inspiration (I think this is one of Ron's techniques, and I played in a game that Ross started this way years ago).
During December, I asked patrons if they wanted to throw me some questions, especially pretty specific to games that I've published or perhaps know well enough to say anything about. The idea was to collect a few and make a little video response, to be posted and discussed at the Patreon.
Yes, the title is clickbait. It's merely a pun on the game we're talking about ... or does this topic turn out to address the loaded role-playing hobby term after all? You decide.
About when I think it's time to retire the old email for good, as it mostly delivers spam whose algorithm is clearly confused, someone uses it for the only reason anyone should. Ransom contacted me to ask some questions about Sorcerer which led to this conversation. They were pretty deep questions, including positions regarding the occult and general thematic or intentional issues.
I don’t think I’ve ever made a video better suited to the phrase, “It speaks for itself.”