Theory From the Closet

A punk perspective on tabletop RPG’s, their theory, and design.

Show036: Marketing and Customer Service for Game Designers

This show is out of order. Show035 isn’t done yet and will be out later this week. Why don’t you just make this show035, Clyde? Good question, Clyde. It was already done which means the id3 tags were already made and I didn’t want to go back and take the time to change them. Anyway….

This episode will include very few questions from me. On these “blank for game designer” shows I normally work with the person I contacted whom I think has a lot of knowledge about the particular subject. This usually entails a back and forth, and adding to an outline until we think we have a somewhat definitive covering of the subject. I however knew nothing about customer service or marketing, so this really is Fred Hicks outline. Frankly I could have turned the laptop around, and just sat there, but it was more fun to get in the way. You can read a text post Fred did after this podcast that basically covers all this ground in text form, and you can keep track of Fred’s thoughts about game design and the games he is working on here.

Also this show wouldn’t have gotten done if Luke Crane hadn’t stood in for Fred’s shift at IPR, and his lending us the laptop to use. Many of these Dreamation shows wouldn’t have gotten done without Thor Olavsrud, and Bob Hawking Radiation, and their niceness of letting me kick them out of bed or keep them up late. Thanks guys.

This is the last Dreamation show. In two weeks we move to Forge Midwest.

Show034: The Toxicity of Status

This show, while not a masterpiece, is at least an entry level work to gain access into the guild of sound editing. If you could hear the original and see the tiny flatline of a sound file I had to work with you would be amazed. Anyway, I worked really hard on it. You might hear just a tiny bit of tinniness in the voices but consider yourself gifted, as that is much better than the staticfest I had. I think you should hear a lot less crappy sound from me now as I learned a few tricks. (Note: The word less implies the word some.) Anyway, enough crowing from me. Let’s talk about the show.

This is the second show, that I mentioned earlier, that Luke brought to me. It’s another one where folks are saying real things. Not that people don’t normally on my show, but typically I’m not pushing towards controversy. (Note: Typically implies atypically.) I think I didn’t get exactly what Clinton and Jason were pointing at until listening to it in my headphones. I think they’re not saying having a lot of games are bad, I think they’re saying that non-heart-felt games are bad, especially when they’re done so someone can feel like they are a part of something.

So what can we do to make folks who don’t have games or aren’t working on games feel like they have a part? Or is that on them for not finding another way to participate? What are other ways to participate? How do we draw attention to other ways to participate?

I feel like I had more to say, but I can’t remember it now. I’ll leave it at this and maybe make another post later or drop something into the comments.

Edit: I’m trying to take a nap before work, and then the words pop in my head. Figures, right…?

This podcast has got me thinking again in terms of hardcore. In Hardcore there are big bands, relatively speaking, who tour the country. They would come around and kids would come from all over, and by all over I mean from states away. There would be conflict and sometimes fighting, and this was part of hardcore. The guys in those bands were looked up to by a lot of folks. Not me because I tend not to worship false idols, but not everyone is me. This was part of hardcore.

The other part was when our bands whom you’ve never heard of would play, like; The Antics, Blue Owl Circus, the Jerkoffs, or Don’t Shoot I’m with God, and it would be just us. Just us flailing, punching, making ill considered leaps onto or off of things, getting knocked onto the stage, and crashing into the drums, me doing flying WWF moves on any kid who fell… insanity at it’s best. This also was hardcore.

Those guys in the big bands who toured the country? They couldn’t be part of this second part, their presence made it not possible. The understanding and comradery needed was precluded by the size and scope of their audience. It’s not their fault, they were good people on the whole, success causes more people than just us to be interested. I’m sure they missed it, but they chose their art, or expression, or success. Again, totally reasonable decision. To me that’s what this podcast seems to be about, besides encouraging people to design for passion and not acceptance. It also seems to be folks looking at this divide and perhaps questioning where they want to be.

Show033: Theory Refresher

Here’s that show to try to get us caught back up. Not much more to say. Don’t forget to check out the Random-wiki for definitions of theory terms.

Show032: 2007 Swinnies

So here’s that award show I promised. Here’s the Breakdown:

Best Actual Play:

  1. Burning Wheel (10)
  2. Inspectres (5), Don’t Rest Your Head (5)
  3. Act’s of Evil (3), Trollbabe (3), 44 (3), Panty Explosion (3), Agon (3), Dust Devils (3), Dogs in the Vineyard (3), Prime Time Adventures (3), Burning Empires (3), The Mountain Witch (3), Other Worlds (3)

Favorite game that the friends wouldn’t play, aka best read:

  1. Mountain Witch (6)
  2. It Was A Mutual Decision (5)
  3. Hero’s Banner (3), Death’s Door (3), Reign (3), Conspiracy of Shadows (3), Mob Justice(3), Inspectres (3), Schizonauts (3), Contenders (3), Burning Empires (3), Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (3)

The Rising Phoenix, or game I hadn’t heard of last year, but am exciting about this finding out more this year:

  1. Perfect (6), Contenders (6)
  2. Best Friends (5)
  3. Polaris (3), Full Light Full Steam (3), Dogs in the Vineyard (3), Galactic (3), It Was A Mutual Decision (3)

The new game I’m most excited about:

  1. Poison’D (12)
  2. Steal Away Jordan (6)
  3. Grey Ranks (5), Savage Adventures of Solomon Kane (5), BW: The Blossoms are Falling (5)

Here’s a link to the Google spreadsheet that has all the vote tallies.