Tag Archives: Out of Character

Feedback Is Back.


It’s been a very long time since I posted any podcast feedback.  Mainly because I had not been listening to any podcasts nor when I did, was not able to take notes.  Feedback was the reason for starting this blog.  It’s about time I returned to it.  So here we go.

A lot of these are old podcasts so bear with me.

I have to begin with Pulp Gamer – Out of Character.  Don and the gang were very supportive of me beginning Go Forth And Game.  I’ll begin with the ‘Games To Be Thankful For’ episode.  There was a lot of mention of ‘The Canon of The Game’ and sticking to or not sticking to it.  In keeping with the theme here are some games I’m thankful for:  Memoir ’44, Homesteaders, Macao, Fiasco, FATE.

They did an episode on Crime in Games.  Leverage was one that was mentioned.  I’ve never seen the TV show it is based on but from their description and those of others, this is one I need to check out.  When people talk about crime in games, especially rpg’s, I immediately think of Fiasco.  I LOVE this game.  I really need to do a review.

Narrative Control 56 covered change in your characters and how to deal with it.  Characters changing during a game or especially a campaign is something to expect.  Characters should grow.  Players should be willing to seriously consider change and where that change can lead.  Change can result in some really cool stories.  As an example my character Jind in our Diaspora game changed radically during character creation from my original idea of him.  And that change has had a major impact on the game.

Narrative Control 57 was about Apocalypse World, Vincent Baker’s newest game.  There has been a lot of buzz on this game, both good and negative.  One of the main points I picked up was that AW tells the players how to play.  This is an interesting thing and generated a lot of discussion in the show.  It seems so simple that we overlook or assume that the game has done this.  But some games don’t.  I appreciated them bringing this out.  I will use it for ‘comatose’ or what ever it will be called.  Another thing they liked about AW was the inclusion of examples of bad play or how not to play.  What a good idea.  All in all the show made me want to check out this game, if only for the GM advice and to see another way to write an rpg.  Note: AW seems like a good game to do a Thundarr game.

I rediscovered Reasonable Faith.  This is a podcast by Christian apologist William Lane Craig.  This is always an excellent podcast that makes me think.  I will do a proper feedback in another post.

I listened to a Please Convince Me show too.  I will cover it in the same post as Reasonable Faith.

The Game Kennel covered Tigris & Euphrates.  I have played it once and really like it.  The Pulpsters do a good job of covering T&E.  It is a deep game, a thinky game.  There is a lot to keep up with and remember.  They are right that you need multiple plays to get your head around it.  I like it and it is on the Buy List.

Voice of The Revolution covered Monsters And Other Childish Things.  This sounds like a fun game.  What really interests me is the One Role Engine (ORE) system it uses.  ORE is a rich dice system in which a single roll of the dice yields more than just a number.  It uses all aspects of the dice.  Pip number of each die, dice color, doubles, high/low – information you can garner from one roll of the dice.  This idea fascinates me.  Wringing all the information you can from your mechanics and props is an awesome idea.  I’m using it in a couple of game I’m developing – The Survivor, The Accused, and The Gold Rush.  This idea streamlines a game and enables you to do a lot more with what you have.  Look for more on this in a future post.

I’m listening more regularly now so more feedback is coming. That’s about it for now.

Go Forth And Game,

tomg

 

A Conversation With…Don Dehm of Pulp Gamer


This time my guest is Don Dehm. Don is the leader of the Pulp Gamer Media Network and many of its associated podcasts which include Out of Character, The Game Kennel, and Family Night. All the podcasts in the Network are top quality gaming shows and highly entertaining. He is also an active advocate for gaming and the game industry. Thanks for joining me, Don.

Tell us about Pulp Gamer and the Pulp Gamer Media Network.

Pulp Gamer is a media network and production house. We work in both audio and video and produce podcasts for organizations such as the Game Manufacturer’s Association and Mayfair Games.  Those shows and others from our partner organizations can be found at pulpgamer.com and a number of other outlets such as iTunes and YouTube.  Our most popular show is Out of Character.  We have a crew of retailers, game developers, and other industry professionals that gather around the microphones and talk about issues around roleplaying, board gaming, and other points of interest about the hobby.

Out of Character is my personal favorite. But I’m a bit biased being a ‘satellite’ of the show. I really enjoy the camaraderie exhibited on the show.

What got you into podcasting?

The first time I was introduced to podcasting, it was the Daily Source Code with Adam Curry, someone I recognized as an Mtv VJ when I was growing up.  My eyes lit up.  It all made sense to me that this was the future and it would be a great way to promote the hobby.  It also looked easy.  I had the technical skills, and I was a DJ in college.  How hard could this be? So I set off with a couple of my closest friends and our first podcast was born.

What is the hardest part about podcasting?

There is really a lot that goes into putting together a good show and the challenges change over time, especially after you have been doing it for several years.  Keeping it fresh is tricky, but I think the hardest part is keeping a consistent schedule.  We would have a much larger audience if we didn’t have small holes in our recording history.  We have had to make some sacrifices but we are now producing Out of Character pretty steadily.  As a result of that, and the great talent, we are doing really well.  I have to give kudos to the crew.

You review a lot of games.  What is the hardest part of reviewing a game?

I don’t review as many games as I do coaching our review team.  That being said, the hardest part is always about being concise.  Anyone can ramble on about a game.  Few can capture what they are trying to say before the listener (or reader) looses attention.

What is/are your current hot game(s)?

It always depends on who I am playing with.  My favorite games will only tease me with the promise of satisfaction if they aren’t played with the right group.  I have party games I really like, euro games I really enjoy, and roleplaying genres I prefer, but it all comes down to the group.  I do have a soft spot, however, for cooperative board games.  When it comes to roleplaying I like character driven campaigns.  I am also always on the lookout for a good post-apocalyptic theme.

What’s coming up for Pulp Gamer?

The entertainment climate has changed and we are going to be responding with some new shows to continue to distinguish ourselves.  We have learned a lot over the years and will be applying that to strengthen our line-up.  We will be strengthening our online presence and our network to capture the attention of both casual and hobby gamers and continue to contribute to the growth of the hobby.  Beyond that, you will just have to listen to Out of Character to keep up with the latest scoop.


And one extra that I ask all my guests, in your opinion, for board games and rpg’s, what makes a good player?

Funny you should ask that.  I just asked the same thing on one of our recent podcasts when we were discussing how to become a better player.  To me, a good player is someone who stays engaged and helps others to stay engaged at the table.  It is a group experience and everyone has to contribute.  Focus on making it a good experience for everyone.  If everyone does that, it is really hard not to have a good time, and it’s all about having a good time.

Thanks for your time, Don. I can’t wait to see what new things the Pulp Gamer Media Network has in store.

To learn more about Pulp Gamer and listen to some fantastic podcasts, visit pulpgamer.com and check out all the great shows.

Pulp Gamer Out of Character #97 – It’s Perkarific!!


First off I want to say I really like the theme music for Out of Character.  I apologize that I have forgotten who does it, either Al Roker or J.D. Meek?, but it is great.

Now to episode 97 – Heroes & villains

The episode was built around the release of Jess Hartley’s newest supplement – Instant Antagonist.  The Selfish Succubus is the first of the series.  I like the idea of ready-made antagonists.  It’s not new but I think the implementation here is.  From what I gathered Jess has not just given us a ‘bad guy’ to use in our games but has fleshed her out with several backstories for depth AND story hooks AND recommendations for how to use her in different types of games/campaigns.  Brilliant.  This one is on the Buy List.

The episode then went on to discuss villains and heroes in your games.  One of the better ideas came from Ron.  He suggests basing your characters on characters from fiction,with modifications.  This is a neat idea and I will use it.

There was a discussion of Dark  Hersey from Fantasy Flight Games.  It is an rpg set in the Warhammer universe where you play ‘space gestapo’.  This just doesn’t appeal to me and I will most likely not play this.  However, Rogue Trader, set in the same universe, does sound interesting.  In it you play outlaws, pirates, people who buck the system, revolutionaries.  Much cooler.

Jess was the star of this show.  Not only was here product featured but she made up the new word for the episode – perkarific.  It means ultra-perky I think.  Perhaps it means really great like when you get a perk from something.

Jess, the guys may make you speak last but you’re first in our hearts.

Go Forth and Game!

tomg

Pulp Gamer Out of Character 96 – Gift Giving


I’m trying to catch up on my listening and posting.  Next up – PGOoC 96.

With the Christmas season approaching, the Pulpsters tackle giving games as gifts.  Tis a fun and relatively short OoC this time so let’s get to it.

The gang goes over several criteria for giving games not the least of which is not giving games you want but giving games the receiver may want.  This is big and hard for me.  The gifting so far has been for my kids and I have to remember that they probably will not want to play Descent or Battlestar Galactica.  I did pick up Pandemic for my birthday last month but I think I can get them to play that.  Appropriateness in theme and style of play is addressed.  These are good to remember.  You do not want to give Agricola to someone who dislikes farming.  Just because it is the BGG.com(Geekdo.com) #1 game doesn’t mean they will like it.  Likewise if they don’t like heavy games don’t go with Twilight Struggle.  Know the person you are giving to.  That was the bottom line I got from the episode.  Now let’s look at a few of the games they discussed.

Ron brought up that abstract games make great gifts for new gamers.  I agree.  With many of these types of games you do not have to worry about theme because theme is absent or thin.  Derrick mentioned Station Master.  I don’t know this one but it sounds like a winner.  Aye, Darkoverlord was brought up as a good one.  Don’t know this one either but it too sounds like fun. They mentioned Once Upon A Time as a good intro game.  I agree.  We picked it up a while back and my 7-year-old loves it.  The storytelling part of the game is really fun for him as he can go off into wild and silly adventures.

On the rpg front, several intro type games were mentioned.  D&D4e, Faery’s Tale, Prime Time Adventures,, and  A Penny For My Thoughts were talked about.  Haven’t played 4e.  I have read through Faery’s Tale and like it.  It is on the buy list.  Ron (and Veronica) mentions that he was in a Faery’s Tale game at MACE that was GMed by a 9-year-old girl.  And it was fantastic.  I’ve played PTA and it is super fantastic.  I recommend it highly.  Penny is one I want to play.  I have a friend (gamerchris) who says only good things about this.  The press and word of mouth on this is very positive.  I hope Chris will run it soon.  I had an idea of using the Penny mechanic of asking questions in Once Upon A Time.  This could be interesting.  I would add Savage Worlds and FATE based games like Spirit of The Century, to the list.  Both systems are relatively easy to learn and allow for a lot of player input.  I would recommend 3:16 – Carnage Among The Stars if you friend likes shooting things and army type stuff.

That’s all for now.

Go Forth and Game.

tomg

Pulp Gamer – Out of Character 91 – The Quest Continues…


This episode was kind of random catch-all show it seemed.  Lots of topics were covered.  Here we go.

They talked briefly about Don’s(?) Halloween party.  Ron, cool idea to go as Gillian’s Island characters.  I love that show.

They talked about hijacking The Game’s The Thing RinCon show.  This was a very good show that had Don, Derrick, Paul Tevis (famous podcaster and designer of A Penny For My Thoughts), and Ryan Macklin (host of the excellent Master Plan) as hosts.  Ron & Veronica were out unexpectedly.  There was a posting of ‘One Cool Thing at RinCon’.  This very cool idea was started by Jason Morningstar I believe.  Jason videos a bunch of people at the cons he attends and asks them the one cool thing they had/did at that con.  Ron did this for MACE too.  So you will get to see ME!  My videoed cool thing was playing Prime Time Adventures for the first time.  In reality the coolest thing at MACE was meeting lots of really great people and making friends.

Speaking of RinCon and MACE, they talked about conventions growing.  I know MACE’s numbers were up considerably this year and they said RinCon had strong attendance too.

Jason talked about the Ghostbusters rpg game that he ran.  It proved to be very popular.  I want this game.

Jason, I believe, also talked a bit about PTA and how it was a good game to introduce newbies to roleplaying.

Smilin’ Jack’s Bar and Grill: The Savage Worlds Podcast was talked about.  This is Ron and Veronica’s new Savaged podcast.  It’s good and a must for all Savages.

Gamer Adventures was mentioned.  This company arranges cruises with gaming theme.  Several days of gaming interrupted by occasional excursions to cool places.  This sounds like a lot of fun.

There was a good discussion of White Wolf’s policy on publishing in electronic form.    It seems WW is embracing electronic publishing with vigor.  There was much talk of the decline of sales of rpg books in the brick and mortars.  Ron and Dave could attest to this personally.  But it was agreed that the industry as a whole is healthy and growing.  One of the growth areas is ‘indie’ publishing.  Some of the guys feel that these games could replace the ‘mainstream’ games on the shelves of the game stores.  I agree that greater variety is good for the hobby.  The talk turned to pdf’s and how versatile they are.  Ron talked about layers in PDF’s.  I have to investigate this.  POD was discussed and it was felt that this is a viable and profitable alternative to traditional publishing.

One of the questions I wanted to ask Sean Patrick Fannon at the Industry Pros Panel at MACE was about new technology in electronic publishing.  Maybe this could be a topic on a future show guys.

I want to mention that there have been a lot of boardgame/rpg hybrids lately.   For example, Tales of the Arabian Nights and Descent.  This would make a good show too.

They talked about Witch of Salem, Mayfair’s new game.  It sounds very good.  Check out The Game Kennel show on it.

If you live in Tucson or the surrounding area go by Hat’s Games and tell Dave TomG sent you.  He’ll get a kick out of it.

I’d say go over to Ron’s store too but I don’t remember what it is called.

go Forth and Game,

tomg

Feedback on Pulp Gamer Out of Character – Elder Pronunciation Gods


I’m catching up on my podcast listening. I always check to see if there is a new Pulp Gamer episode of any kind first. And sure enough there was a new Out Of Character. In fact there are two. This is feedback on the first – Elder Pronunciation Gods.
The first thing to mention is Ron Blessing is back. This is a good thing. Ron brings good insight as a gamer and retailer to the program.
The first topic covered was Jess Hartley’s new book, Conventions for the Aspiring Game Professional.  For those who are aspiring game professionals, this book sounds like a must have.  Jess knows what she is talking about in this book.  She’s a well respected professional in the gaming industry whose works include these.  I’m particularly interested in her World of Darkness books, Innocents and Geist.  Geist is talked about more in PGOC 88.  Both of these books sound like they would be fun and scary.  And I don’t get to play scary very much.  If you are a game designer, check this one out.

Jess also mentioned that she is a homeschooler.  As a fellow homeschooler it is nice to see the community expand.

There was more talk of Adventures In Oz, a rpg where you play characters in Baum’s world.  As I mentioned previously, I would like to get some more info on this one.  I’ve not read much of the Oz material but I think it would be fun.  And I could play this with my kids.  The website has the character creation and a bit of the rules up for download so that you can see what the game is about.  There is an interesting mechanic in the game.  Combat doesn’t necessarily result in death of one of the combatants as in most games.  Here you combat until one gives in.  The mechanics seem to support this non-lethal conflict.  I’ll need to read more to find out though.

The rest of the episode was responding to feedback and emails.  A good portion of this was taken up by me in what they are calling The Tomg Spot.  Ha Ha.  I even got a big voice intro with an echo.  Ron mentioned that he and Veronica will be in my neck of the woods, NC, at MACE.  MACE is the local/regional gaming con.  It is a sweet con that is devoted solely to gaming.  Many of the Savage Worlds folks will be there and they are having a Savage Saturday Night event on – Saturday night.  So if you are in the High Point, NC area on Nov. 6-8, come on by.

There was mention of Jeremiah’s game company.  As I understand it he is hard at work on a new role playing game, MERP – Middle East Role Playing.  JD, you should check that out.

I would be remise if I didn’t mention Hive.  Everyone should have a copy of this great two player game.

I will mention that Pulp Gamer is running a ‘bribe’.  If you leave a review of Pulp Gamer Out of Character on iTunes you can get a copy of ‘Accent Your Character‘ – PG’s role playing aid to assist you in mastering those United Kingdom type accents.  And if you leave a review of one of the other Pulp Gamer shows you can get a digital copy.  Very cool.  I’m headed over there right after this post.

All in all another good episode.

Go Forth and Game

Feedback on Pulp Gamer Out of Character 85


Here’s some feedback on PGOC85:

Several games were mentioned in this episode: Loot, Mesopotamia, LaBoomb, Adventures in Oz, Alpha Omega, Space Hulk, A House Divided, Terror 13, The Pathfinder System. Here are my comments on each followed by some general stuff about the episode.
Loot – I own this game. It is a card game produced by Gamewright about capturing treasure ships. Players are pirates using ships of various strengths to take treasure ships of differing value. The player with the most points/gold at the end wins.
I’ve played this with my 11 and 7 year olds and it goes over ok. Play with them tends to be slow but I believe that with an older group it would play faster and more lively. The ‘take that aspect’ doesn’t play well with these two as feelings tend to get hurt. It is a good looking game with very colorful artwork.
Mesopotamia – I haven’t played this one. It sounds interesting but too complex for my group.
LaBoomb – This one sounds like a winner with my kids. I can see this being a big hit. I like Jess’s idea of using Hershey’s Kisses. This one is on The Buy List.
Adventures in Oz – a rpg. It sounds like a lot of fun and I want to find out more about it.  It is a 2d6 based game where you are play characters in Oz.  It reminds me of The Zorceror of Zo by Chad Underkoffler and of Wonderland No More by Triple Ace Games.

Two other rpg’s were mentioned – Alpha Omega by Mindstorm Studios and the Trailblazer supplement for The Pathfinder System by Paizo Publishing.  I haven’t played either.  But both are getting good press on the forums I visit and from the podcast community.   Alpha Omega is a space setting.  I like that the monsters are ordered by power level.  Neat idea.Trailblazer is an inexpensive supplement the tweaks the 3.5 system.   I might look into AO but I am not into 3.5  so Trailblazer is out.

One of the big stories in boardgaming currently is the re-release of Space Hulk by Games WorkshopHere’s the BGG link.  This edition is a high end production with very high quality components.  The price is pretty high too, around $100.  But I hear that it is in fact sold out.  I’ve not played Space Hulk but it makes me want to try the computer version.

Terror Thirteen is an interesting sounding rpg.  There is not much info available out there though.  From the conversation the game has a  mechanism that I find interesting – bonds.  Bonds seem to be buttons that the GM can push/hooks for the GM to work with.  I’m for most things that help bring out a good story.

Last is A House Divided.  And this one is a gem if you ask me.  It moved up The Buy List after listening to this podcast.  This is a Civil War game that can be played on different levels.   Here is the BGG link.  Being very interested in the Civil War, I would really like to play this.  You ‘simulate’ the entire war, playing out different battles until the end.  There is also an alternate history aspect that sounds neat.

That’s it for the games now for some feedback on the show itself.  I like the larger crew.  JD Corley has brought a love for indie rpg’s that I appreciate.  And he really looks at a game.  It seems he learns and works games well.  I like Jess Hartley.  She brings an interesting perspective and I like how well she fits in.  I miss Ron but I see he has a new Savage Worlds podcast that must be taking up some time.

All in all, this was another great podcast.

Thanks PGers.

Go Forth and Game,

tomg

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