#AprilTTRPGMaker 30: Top Tips and Advice

#30: Top Tips and Advice

In getting to role-playing games/a new system: Just dive into it. Experience is your best teacher in learning how a game plays. Reviews can help, but ultimately be aware that everyone has their own reasons for gaming. I've often seen games I love dissed by people whose reasons for hating it are the features I actually love. So form your own opinions on games by trying them.

In running a game: Remember you too deserve to have fun.  For some strange reason, many people think the GM is beholden to make things fun for the players... and yet it doesn't go both ways. People who GM aren't doing the players a service! They're also there to have fun. So if you find yourself in a group that seems to expect you to do whatever they want as if you were obligated to make them feel good, get out. That's not a healthy gaming group. That's more like an abusive relationship. You're all investing time to enjoy each other's company and have a fantastic narrative in the process.

In playing a game: Share the Spotlight, Trust the GM.  Remember that you're all investing hours of your time to play together. Doing stuff, "Just to see what happens" or "Only because my character would do so," are actually very self-focused choices and usually lead to the other players getting annoyed or frustrated. Don't be a fun killer. Consider how your choices can make the game fun for all. Weigh when to let others handle a scene. In any ensemble show or movie, other characters let others have their moment. Learn to do that too. And finally, know that the GM is also playing with you guys in this game. While some GMs do still think they're just meant to "kill the PCs when they can,"  the really good ones understand the game is intended to also be worth the hours you've all invested into it. So when you're with a GM who might throw unexpected twists in the story, trust them and see where they can lead. Running away from the "plot" rarely makes for a more interesting game.

In getting stuff published:  Write it. Finish it. And release it.  Your first work might be terrible. Hey, most are anyway. But write and get stuff out. Stop worrying about ideas being stolen. There are millions of ideas and barely 5% of them are original. But how you present them or explore them is where the uniqueness can shine. Get your work out there!  Your audience will find you. But they only will if you give them a means to look for you.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

#AprilTTRPGMaker 29: Your Community?

#29: Your Community?

It has become much smaller than it used to be.
But at its core, I can see the people who truly cared for me and for the hobby. I can see the people who run games because we love sharing the moment with our friends. I can see the people who recognize and value fellow creators. I can see the people who don't use their connections, fame, and wealth, to gatekeep or marginalize others. I see people I am happy to call my friends.

While I miss the days of being able to serve and share knowledge with a much larger community, I know for now I have to take care of myself. To heal the scars and trauma I have gained from the betrayal and the bullying I had to endure. Maybe someday I'll fully have the courage to step out more often again. Maybe soon, I'll find myself invited to be part of things again and not feel like I'm the focus of rumors and lies being told behind my back.

Maybe someday I can be part of the larger community again because there will be more diversity-friendly and more respectful people in the position to guide things. But while those days are far away, I can focus instead on those who stayed close and supportive of me.  And I can write.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

#AprilTTRPGMaker 28: Favorite Interview?

#28: Favorite Interview?

This is tough. It rattles some trauma. There was an interview that made me feel like I was extremely fortunate at one point in time, but has since become a reminder that one has to be careful when handling things in the industry. Bottom line is, you can never be too careful when dealing with people you don't know. And sometimes, the best you can do is to just chalk it up to experience and learn to do better in the future.

So I guess for now, the best interview I can mention is the one I did for GMA News. GMA News is one of the biggest local news outlets here in the Philippines.  When I was interviewed to share my thoughts on tabletop games and to talk about how it was like to write for 7th Sea and stuff, I was overjoyed at the thought that the interview might inspire others to try and do the same. Many even fan the flames of more local designers and writers to take the plunge and try to break into the industry.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

#AprilTTRPGMaker 27: Feature a TTRPG designer

#27: Feature a TTRPG designer

I have to feature two friends.

First, I must mention Alan Bahr of Gallant Knight Games.  The man has so much ideas and energy, he writes like a maniac and produces fantastic games. I've been fortunate enough to have known him for quite some time and to have gained his confidence, despite my work not being as profitable as I wished it was, he's been supportive and encouraging in so many ways. He's created games inspired by music, by sentai warriors, by kaiju, and more. He's just incredible.

Second, I must mention the legendary jim pinto of postworldgames. jim definitely is not a new name in the industry. His presence as long been felt and has been influential in so many ways. But he deserves this highlight because his two game systems, Protocol and Praxis, deserve to be better noticed. Both are fascinating works that encourage narrative focus and deep role-playing opportunities and are wonderful bookends to the crunch and fluff spectrum.

There are so many additional designers worth featuring, but I guess it loses its focus if I showcase too many.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

#AprilTTRPGMaker 26: Blogs, streams, podcasts?

#26: Blogs, streams, podcasts?

I'm tremendously appreciative of the various shows and streams that are out there. Victory Condition, Riverhouse Games, Misdirected Mark, Weekly Affirmations, She's a Super Geek, Once Upon a Time, Party of One, Pocket-Sized Play, PallComm @ Visionary, and IdeateTV have been quite wonderful in helping boost the signal of my stuff.

Same with GMA News as well. For small indie designers such as myself, we are extremely grateful for the signal boost.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

#AprilTTRPGMaker 25: Being a TTRPG designer means?

#25: Being a TTRPG designer means...

Being someone who attempts to translate an experience into a document which others whom you have never even ever met will be able to read and grasp to the point that when they play it, the experience you wanted them to feel will be there.

There is no one true way to play a game. But there are horribly wrong ways to do so.  And being a tabletop role-playing game designer is being sensitive to the possibilities and being aware of the paradigm shifts the reader may have while attempting to understand your game. This isn't about playing God or having a power trip. This is about finding a way to answer questions that haven't even been asked yet. This is about finding the words that will help the players feel that same excitement you had when you first imagined what it would be like creating a game like this.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

#AprilTTRPGMaker 24: Most Notable Achievement?

#24: Most Notable Achievement?

There were a number of instances where I thought I had my most notable achievement. Some of them turned out to have been something else entirely compared to what I had expected. Many of them have become huge learning moments for me.

So I will instead cite what I feel are achievements I am proud of:

7th Sea: Pirate NationsI was one of the freelance writers contracted to be part of the book. The book won a Silver ENnie for Best Supplement. This might be the closest I can ever be to having an ENnie of my own.

(AUTHOR)ities: The 9th Philippine International Literary Festival
The event was, to my knowledge, the first time ever for tabletop role-playing games to be part of a government event. This opens the doors for our participation in future events and who knows, maybe even be recognized as an existing literary field in its own way.

A Single Moment
My first solo creation. The first original game that I self-published. The game has reached over 2,000 people and was recognized as the Runner Up for Best System in the Indie Groundbreaker Awards 2017.  The game has been hailed as revolutionary and continues to find an audience. I am very proud of it.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

#AprilTTRPGMaker 23: People who've helped you?

#23: People who've helped you?

First person on the list will have to be Rocky, my partner. One can cite countless examples of people who are in relationships where only one of the other pair is into gaming. My partner not only enjoys games but also loves the geeky gay world we live in so much that he supports me in so many ways.

Then you have my family. My mom and dad were HUGE influences in my life. They gave me opportunities to learn to write, and an education that allowed me to gain the skills necessary to create.

This is followed by the online community of awesome friends and supporters I have who have helped me find opportunities to express my creative ideas. Josh Jordan, Alan Bahr, Ben Woerner, Dan Waszkiewicz, John Kennedy, Ryan Schoon, Ben Lehman, Andy Kitkowski, Ole Peder Giæver, Eloy Lasanta, John Wick, Elizabeth Chaipraditkul, Giovanni Micolucci ...

And the late Stewart Wieck.They all believed in me and gave me opportunities to contribute to the tabletop rpg community. They were kind and extremely supportive.

Then, there are my TAG TEAM SUPPORTERS. Among them include Rob Abrazado, David Harrison, Mina, Karlo, Ryan Schoon, Riverhouse Games and Rob Deobald. The financial support has been amazing and has helped me fund more artists to work on my games. Thank you for your trust.

There are my friends. Flip Velez, Urim Hernandez, Josh Castaneda, Che de Leon and her partner, Kyle, James Lo and his wife, Lei, Aina and Brian, the Finer Gamer Things Club (Mitch, Myna, Mai, Karen, Jovan, Christian, and more), Gwen, the local table top game community leaders such as Thomas, Nico, Freddie, the people of Project Tadhana, Mon Macutay of abubot.ph, Hans of Gaming Library, and so many other friends who help me keep moving and rally behind me when things get tough.

And finally, the gamers who tried, bought, or shared my games with others. To the podcasters who featured my stuff or interviewed me. To the webshows that mentioned my name or tried my little creations. To the parents, or teachers, or uncles and aunts who tried learning more about rpgs and were thankful that I helped them understand what their kids, neices and nephews, friends, were into. Your messages of support, your youtube videos of appreciation, your emails of criticism, all of that is welcomed and appreciated because you opted to spent some part of your time to check out something I made.

These are the people who have helped me.
These are the ones who remind me to rise up no matter how many times I've been bullied or attacked or manipulated or taken advantage of. These are the people who have helped me see that life does get better. Life does go on. And we all can be beacons of hope and diverse examples of truly inclusive gaming safe spaces.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

#AprilTTRPGMaker 22: How do you document ideas?

#22: How do you document ideas?

Three ways:
First, my ipad. I have either the Paper app or the Notepad app on my ipad which I use to quickly jot down any ideas that pop into my head.  These are for those days I might be out like at the mall or while driving, I have a voice recorder app in my phone that I use to dictate my ideas. Finally, when at my desktop, you have either notepad or Excel to track down my ideas.

Yeah, not too exciting.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

#AprilTTRPGMaker 21: How Many Playtests?

#21: How Many Playtests?

The short answer: As many as possible.

Playtesting helps you get a gauge of many things: Does the reader get what you're trying to say? Does the reader get a feel of the mood you want to evoke? Does the reader grasp the rules quickly? Does the reader get lost on where to go next?  Are there terms that confuse instead of clarify? Are there rules that break the experience? Are there rules that don't serve a purpose? Are there parts of the game that generally feel unfun?

I don't believe that much in "balancing" as I feel in tabletop games, players and GMs are the final arbiter on how to properly make sure the game is always fun for all at the table. While I do design with the mathematical foundation of the rules in mind, I do not design with the intent to block any possible abuse or number crunching of the system. Why? Cause in as much as I don't like those, players have the freedom to do that if they want to. My focus is to make sure the rules are able to provide a guide to the experience I wanted to offer.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

#AprilTTRPGMaker 20: Favorite design Tools?

#20: Favorite design Tools?

Not much. I use Word or Notepad for most of my writing. Unless I literally write stuff down in any notebook or pad I got. My handwriting is atrocious, however, so typing is better.  For lay out, I either use Word or InDesign.   Vector artwork is usually made with Illustrator but sometimes I use Photoshop instead. 

The internet is, of course, a resource I tap often. More so when writing on stuff that do not have that much dead-tree resources available.  I realize now I have no idea if I answered this question correctly.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

#AprilTTRPGMaker 19: Game that's most essential to your design?

#19: Game that's most essential to your design?

I must admit this will once again be that one game by John Wick that has truly given me such a huge paradigm shift towards how role-playing games should be:

Houses of the Blooded.
A lot of people give Houses of the Blooded a bad review, calling it confusing or talking about how it doesn't have good balance and all that jazz. But a lot of these negative views, in my opinion, are born from the fact the reader didn't quite grasp the key point that is required for games like Houses of the Blooded to work: a truly brave trust in each other.  Unless this exists between players and Game Masters, games will be bogged down with players who don't allow the drama and tragedy to happen, or GMs who don't understand where the players are trying to bring the plot instead.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

More (AUTHOR)ities updates!

Was very happy to have had the chance to run Itras By: Menagerie during the (AUTHOR)ities event this April 2018. My good friend Mark (dressed in blue with stripes) played a bookstore owner who awoke in Imperia Manila with no clear memory of how long he has been there. With him was Shop, the embodiment of his bookstore given human form.

We were having so much fun that I totally forgot to try taking any pictures of us.  Thankfully, my dear friends Maita and Magsi passed by the table to say hello. Maita had taken some pictures which meant I now have two pics of me at the TAG Sessions table for the day 1 of (AUTHOR)ities

Day 2 was a very busy day. While I had to handle things alone on day 1, Day 2 had my partner Rocky at my side to help me juggle the affairs of the day. Beyond just the table tasks of introducing role-playing games to the people (with the most common inquiry being, "Do I need a computer to play that?"), I was also tasked to moderate two talks that day. The first talk was all about Book to Game adaptations and the second was on Interactive Storybooks.

We tried to feature as many games as possible at our table. Josh T. Jordan's Heroine got a LOT of interested eyeballs on them, with people asking if they could purchase the books. I had to regretfully tell them that I had no stock with me and that they were more than welcome to order it online.

Many also marvelled at the beauty that was Itras By: Menagerie, loving the book's heft and artwork. I wish I had a physical copy of the first book too, but I only owned that one  in PDF format.

I also tried to showcase some of my PDF only games. That Night Out, Sickening Queens, and Bad Timing also had some display time.  Some people who approached were very happy to see our Pride Flag, which I insisted I have on display because we all deserve equality, no matter what bigoted government people may say.

All in all, (AUTHOR)ities was a tremendously wonderful event. I do hope to get copies of the photos taken by the CCP people and I realy hope that we will be invited again to return in the coming years!

#AprilTTRPGMaker 18: Current Inspiration?

#18: Current Inspiration?

Each project has their own inspiration and muses.

Once Upon a Time in Jianghu
My Wuxia game which is Powered by the Apocalypse has drawn much inspiration from the various source material of the said genre, the old Weapons of the Gods role-playing game, John Wick's Houses of the Blooded, and Marvel Heroic Roleplaying games.

DreamscrapersThis young age role-playing game draws from Steven Universe, Adventure Time, Over the Garden Wall, D.C. Comics' Green Lantern, and the 80s cartoon, Visionaries. The game system draws inspiration from my upcoming Neko No Yume solitaire role-playing game.

A Second Moment
This draws inspiration from its fans and many supporters. The game has been quite well received by the gaming community and I am hoping that the upcoming plans for a second edition of the game, with rules that allow group play, traditional GM - Player play, and more will be welcomed just as warmly as the original game was.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

Day 10: Dungeon World

There are RPGs and settings that have had a lasting impact on us all. Over 10 days share 10 covers of games. Takes us all on a journey from earliest gaming through to where you are now. Tell us why it made a lasting impression.

Tagged by Alan Bahr of Gallant Knight Games.

Day 10: Dungeon World

While I did have a copy of Apocalypse World and other games that were Powered by the Apocalypse before I had a tried a session of Dungeon World, it was with this game that helped my brain go "OMG this is genius." With this game, I realized the wonderful power of the engine, how it has players handle all dice rolls, how the GM simply focuses on the rules to support the narrative, and how narrative can be enough a "common sense" limiter for game mechanics.

As of writing this post, I am working on a Wuxia game that is Powered by the Apocalypse. I cannot wait to see how the gaming world will enjoy it and I do hope they do when it finally gets released!

Monday, April 17, 2018 #AprilTTRPGMaker 17: Favorite Form of Feedback?

#17: Favorite Form of Feedback?

Honest ones which focus on what the playtest was asking them to cover. I understand some people get eager, and when given a playtest document their attempts to give back feedback tends to shift into attempts to make another's game better.

While it can be nice when your playtesters opt to try to share their own ideas on what can make the game better, more often than not, they aren't coming from the same paradigm or perspective you are.  So that can be tricky to use as feedback.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

Day 9: The Black Monk - Praxis

There are RPGs and settings that have had a lasting impact on us all. Over 10 days share 10 covers of games. Takes us all on a journey from earliest gaming through to where you are now. Tell us why it made a lasting impression.

Tagged by Alan Bahr of Gallant Knight Games.

Day 9: The Black Monk - Praxis

This game was an incredible game changer. jim pinto's approach to this game system was just incredible. It gave me quite a rush that was very much similar to when I first played a White Wolf game. It was a realization that I was looking at something that was quite new, and had a potent punch in delivering a new experience.

AUTHOR(ities): The 9th Philippine International Literary Festival Day One

Had a fantastic day at the AUTHOR(ities): The 9th Philippine International Literary Festival! I was so excited about the whole day that I totally forgot to take photos of the my table. But it was an opportunity to showcase Itras By, Itras B: Menagerie, Heroine, Girls Elsewhere, Dangers Untold, Sickening Queens, Bad Timing, That Night Out, and A Single Moment!

I loved being able to run games for so many people. Some of them were completely first time gamers, having never tried a game in their entire lives. Others had some tabletop rpg history but were happy to try something new.

I felt tremendously honored to be able to share my passion for gaming with more people. In the Itras By demo session, a man named Alvin Shoppe who owned a Shop that had become a personality had no memory of how long he had been in Itras By. The day was another festival, Fiesta ng Masayang Tuldok (Festival of the Happy Period) with the Manananggal Titas once more showing off their best dresses. After having a few drinks with Mang Tonio, the policeman at a cafe where a Corgi and some invisible companion asked for the toll, Alvin finds a golden key in his pocket and soon learns that Inang Bai had cursed him with forgetfulness. But when she saw how much Shop had fallen in love with Alvin, she gave her a challenge: If Alvin chose to stay rather than return home, then they were meant to be.  Alvin choose to stay and the two renamed their bookstore, Alvin and Shop.

One A Single Moment game was about a couple of gay Samurai who did not have the Honesty to admit their truth to one another. Their secrets lead to deaths and a sorrowful end.   Another ASM game had two close friends who were soon to be brothers from a Clan marriage becoming the direst of foes when one mistakes the other's friendship as a man without any Honor in treating his wife well. Death was a common thread in the games.

I was also able to connect with a number of educators, professionals, and other teachers who were eager to explore role-playing games as teaching tools or creative writing prompts. I offered my time to give talks if any of them needed a speaker to get their students more curious to role-playing games. For many, I gave them the links to DriveThruRpg.com so they can grab the PDFs if they're interested in checking out more games.

Finally, the night was filled with cool reunions. Was able to hang out once more with the fantastic people of Project Tadhana, the brains behind Darna (and the upcoming Lastikman and Bagani) game, and the creative minds who crafted the Talinghaga and Tala games.  Got to see Talecraft people as well and had a lovely hug from Carlo Vergara as well.  So that was the fun first day!  See you all tomorrow!

TAG Sessions features Itras By Menagerie at the 9th Philippine International Literary Festival

We are very honored to have been invited to take part in the 9th Philippine International Literary Festival!  The event is called (AUTHOR)ities and is a two-day event with talks, workshops, demos, and film-screenings. 

We will be attending to feature Itras By: Menagerie to introduce people and give them a chance to try the freeform surreal tabletop role-playing game.  I will admit, it feels fantastic to know that tabletop role-playing games is getting a bit more visibility. Even more awesome, I'm not alone in doing so! 

The mythical Tadhana role-playing game will be running demos as well!

As will the Talinhaga word game which throws a fantastic spin on the word game genre.

And of course, Darna at ang Nawawalang Bato will also be there, ready to challenge players to find the missing stone.

I'm curious to learn more about the two-player Tala Offline game which I shall admit is the first time I've heard of it. It is a card game spin-off of the Janus Silang comics. 

In addition, I've been tapped to moderate two talks as well. 

The first is all about Book-To-Game Adaptations.
The speakers for this are Ria Lu, Alvin Juban, and Shelly Kero
This is on April 20, 2018 at 1:15pm to 2:30pm at the Tanghalang Huseng Batute  (1st Floor)

The second talk will be about Multimedia Storybooks
The speaker will be James Palabay
This is on April 20, 2018 at 2:35pm to 3:35pm at the Tanghalang Amado Hernanez (Ground Floor)

Hope you all can attend!
For more information, visit their facebook page today!

Day 8: Lacuna - The Birth of Mystery and the Girl from Blue City

There are RPGs and settings that have had a lasting impact on us all. Over 10 days share 10 covers of games. Takes us all on a journey from earliest gaming through to where you are now. Tell us why it made a lasting impression.

Tagged by Alan Bahr of Gallant Knight Games.

Day 8: Lacuna - The Birth of Mystery and the Girl from Blue City

Memory loss is common in the Blue City.
This game is life changing.
I'd say more but that is beyond your clearance level.

Abort.
Abort.

There is static in the line.
3.

2.

1.

Eject.

Sunday, April 16, 2018 #AprilTTRPGMaker 16: Any Design Partners?

April 16, 2018

#16: Any Design Partners?

While I pretty much design my games by myself, I do have a fantastic support group that helps me silence the Imposter Syndrome voices and anchors me to the ground. Writing a game can be exciting, terrifying, incredible, fantastic, and horrifying. So it really helps to know there are people who constantly cheer me on and support me.

Thank you to the Gallants. You all are generously kind and wonderful. If only physical distances did not exist.

Thank you to my partner, Rocky, who always reassures me and reminds me to keep writing. To keep creating. To have fun. I hear the stories of so many others whose significant others are not as passionate or as supportive of their gaming and it just reminds me of how fortunate and lucky I am to have found you.

I will admit, the last secret partner would be the one my partner calls Archer. The me when I'm not consciously me. The me when I'm asleep. Or drunk. Or somewhere between the two. Archer has fantastic dreams, wacky moments, and yes even conversations which I never hear about. But I suspect given how overwhelmingly intense the creative urges can get, Archer is probably the embodiment of that inner child that fuels my creative work.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

Day 7: Changeling the Dreaming

There are RPGs and settings that have had a lasting impact on us all. Over 10 days share 10 covers of games. Takes us all on a journey from earliest gaming through to where you are now. Tell us why it made a lasting impression.

Tagged by Alan Bahr of Gallant Knight Games.

Day 7: Changeling the Dreaming

As you can see, there's a pattern here.  A lot of my years growing up as a Game Master was playing various World of Darkness games.  Vampire opened my eyes to possibilities.  Wraith opened my eyes to the darkness and its richness.  Changeling reminded me that no matter how dark and dismal things can get, there can always be something far brighter: hope.

This game remains a beautiful game despite the years that have passed. It has aged spectacularly well and remains one my friends and I often long to return to and explore. The concepts of chimerical things, of Cantrips and Bunks, of the rarity of Glamour, of alternate worlds in the Dreaming, all these have long resonated and inspired me in many other games.  In the end, it is because this game dares to dream. It attempted to mere cards and roleplaying games long before the Invisible Sun ever thought to. Perhaps cause one can see how it drew inspiration from the same well Everway did in the past. Dreams and alien landscapes. Adventure and fear.

I choose to believe.

Sunday, April 15, 2018 #AprilTTRPGMaker 15: Do You Design in Private or Public?

April 15, 2018

#15: Do You Design in Private or Public?

When designing games, I focus on designing privately for the first phase. I try to find that specific unique experience or selling point I want to accomplish, then work on finding ways on making that experience more tangible for the player. I only start bringing in other people in when I start doing two things: blind playtesting (where I have people read what I've written and see if they grasped it on their own) and actual playtesting (when I have other people try the game).

More often than not, when people playtest, they are under the assumption that I'm looking for advice on how to make it better. What they don't realize is I'm more looking to see if they grasped certain things, or if they felt a certain way towards certain design choices I made. I'm not asking for people to co-write the game. I'm asking for people to share what they felt or experienced while trying it, and from there, discern what I need to fix to better hit what I would have preferred.

And that's why I don't open design choices too early. I don't like shooting other people's ideas down, but at the same time a playtest is not about asking for fixes. It is about identifying problem areas. If I anted a brainstorm, I could have asked for that instead directly.

They say good designers know when to edit. When to cut off something they love to make the design work better.  I say, in addition to that good designers know also when to edit who gets to respond to their work. Not everyone's input is useful at the time it is given. But the reasons behind their input are always worth investigating.

From https://twitter.com/Kiranansi

I challenge ye, my dear fellow game makers, to answer my questions, on the corresponding day, this burgeoning April, and verily it shall be that ye shall be inspired by all makers around you and in this beautiful world henceforth. #AprilTTRPGMaker

Staying Active, Running Games - First Quarter Report

Had another successful TAG Bites session with Rocky, Micko, and Seven getting a chance to try Gallant Knight Games' Tiny Dungeons second edition! There were two more players who were expected to join up but one suddenly had an unexpected onset of shingles while the other found real-life work blocking up his day.

Still, we made the most of it and were able to play a quick four-hour game session. In this story, a Treefolk alchemist named Maximus Prime, a Noble Polar Karhu named Aex, and a Spell-touched Salimar named Kasai accompanied the Goblin loremaster Kotku in uncovering the hidden secret of how the Ferrex have gained control of the Goletia. In the end, they defeated the massive terror by liberating it from its horrible dominating parasite.

Some weeks back, on the 7th of April, the first RetroCon 2018 was held! What started out as a forum thread where a group of us old timers were reminiscing about old 80s-90s rpgs lead to an improptu planning of a minor gaming event. Suddenly, we had six GMs ready to rock out and run classic rpgs. I offered to run an old favorite, Marvel Superheroes FASERIP system.

Had a good group of five players to join me in this retrospective journey. Was hoping Rocky could try playing too but he had to man the registration booth. God bless him, he helped a lot of the first timers feel more at home in trying games.

 

Mon even raffled off some awesome stuff from Abubot.ph for all the attendees! I suddenly wish I had thought to offer a free copy of A Single Moment to offer out as well. But alas, that didn't cross my mind in time.

But yeah, here's to another min-convention from this group of awesome people again soon (sorry, Karl, you had left before we took the picture! But rest assured you're part of the awesome people).

Then there was the previous TAG Bites session where we played a horror game called Dead Things in the Walls, which is a Protocol game by jim pinto. Had Seven and Raf and for that game (plus Rocky, of course) and we had a great time scaring ourselves silly.

It has been a busy first quarter, but all in all things have been going very well. Writing my ass off to finish the upcoming wuxia PbtA game, Once Upon a Time in Jianghu and to release the Studio Ghibli inspired game, Neko no Yume.

For the 12 New Games Each Year, for the 2018 challenge, we're doing pretty okay.

1) Pasion de las Pasiones
2) Protocol: Virtuax
3) Protocol: Dead Things in the Walls
4) Tiny Dungeon 2e - Legacy: War of the Widows

The gaming journey continues!