I don't often promote myself on here, but I should. I have done some things that I am proud of. So here is a thread of episodes from @OurTurnPodcast that I contributed a segment and/or co-hosted. #RPG#podcast
Here is one of my very first contributions, a segment about one of my favorite RPGs of all time: 13th Age. @13thAge I still love it, and I have hacked the system to run other genres (ex. Star Wars: The Old Republic). Give it a try sometime. ourturnpodcast.com/2017/05/21/epi…
Space!!! One of my favorite themes for all kinds of games. I talk about space-themed RPGs. I have added a few more to the list since then, like Alien by @FreeLeaguePub. ourturnpodcast.com/2017/07/25/epi…
Party games! Great for a casual game night, game nights with lots of people, or just at any party. Also, an interview with @discountcompost of @FiveByGames.
A topic that is dear to me: depiction of women in games. It has gotten better, but it has so much room for improvement. I did a segment on game master advice. The biggest tip: just do it!
Convention games! (Remember conventions?) I talk about some of the games I liked from my times at @NukeCon. Also, Cathy interviews @StephStrawGames, a person I admire.
Game Challenges! They are a good way to schedule some play time in your life. Plus, an interview with @kiraserpentine, another person I admire who has made some excellent games.
A cohosting session where I talk about Storm King's Thunder, a D&D adventure/campaign guide that I have mixed feelings about. I really like the concept, and there are great nuggets in the book. But overall, not for everyone.
Another cohost contribution and other episode on themes. I am a thematic gamer (if you can't tell). I have passed on plays on top 1000 games simply because the theme did not grab me.
This was a shorter episode. I talk about Wits & Wagers, especially with the Vegas Kickstarter add-on. It is my favorite trivia game simply because you don't need to know trivia to enjoy it. Lots of great game suggestions for families in this episode. ourturnpodcast.com/2018/10/01/epi…
More convention games! I also talk about games involving cute anthropomorphic animals, which is a theme I can hardly resist. Root and Everdell are both really great. ourturnpodcast.com/2018/11/19/189…
I was sad I could not make the live chat for Episode 100. Life happens sometimes. But I do have a brief congrats segment at minute 35. ourturnpodcast.com/2019/02/18/200…
We're back!!! We talk about what we have been up to since the hiatus. I discuss a thematic Star Wars game (no surprise). And I mention that my future virtual attendance at @OrcaCon, which was an excellent time. The folks at OrcaCon are great! ourturnpodcast.com/2021/01/03/epi…
My latest episode to date. A deep dive into D&D 5th Edition. It is my favorite edition of D&D to date. #dnd5e#DnD I also discuss a fun poker variant: HORSE.
I want to thank @OurTurnPodcast for the opportunity to talk about my love of games and for introducing me to so many cool people in the hobby. 💜
Have a topic you want me to discuss on a future segment? Let me know. I have so many interests it is hard to pick one to discuss. Knowing what people want to know helps me narrow things down. #RPG
Sadly, I am not an expert at making threads on Twitter. This one went down a different path. I forked my thread. 😆
1. I miss hanging out with people in person, to the point that I am becoming envious of those who take risks to do so. I am doing things virtually while friends and family meet up in person.
I am extra careful to isolate for the sake of my family. I don't want anyone getting COVID. Like most Americans, I don't have extraordinary savings to pay for 2 weeks in the hospital, a double lung transplant, or anything overly catastrophic.
Also, my father is dying of cancer. In order to see him on occasion, I have to stay healthy, especially COVID free. Both of my parents are immune compromised. I don't know how much time I have left to spend with them. So I got to remain overly cautious.
On the one hand, it is great to have resources to run games.
On the other, it is no wonder why more people do not want to run games. "Oh, you want to be a Dungeon Master? Here, read these 20+ supplemental books if you want to 'git gud'."
If a game is really self-contained, you should just need the core book(s) to run it. It is great that we have so many resources now; I wish I had them in the 80s when I first DMed. But now it can be overwhelming to new folks to run a game. #DnD#dnd5e#RPG
Between a glut of supplemental how-to books and scads of streams and podcasts, a person just starting out looks at the list of 'required' reading and RPG streams and thinks: I can never be as good as others without making this a full-time job. It is daunting.
It seems like every season the @DnD_AdvLeague becomes more limiting with more book-keeping. The desire to keep people "seasoned" for story purposes has overtaken the fun value. You know most MMORPGs don't have story consistency as well, right?
I am scheduled to play D&D AL at @NukeCon this weekend, but now I am not sure if I even want to play. I only play D&D AL a couple times a year. Using the seasoned model, I will never see any story beyond Tier 1 play. All my characters will just collect dust. #DnD#dnd5e
Seeing how D&D AL and Patherfinder Organized Play are the only RPGs regularly offered, convention play has become homogenous and boring. I miss playing sci-fi, modern horror, etc. I miss Traveller, Call of Cthulhu, etc.
I appreciate that we have having meaningful discussions on racism and cultural appropriation in gaming. However, as a full-time worker, spouse, parent, and busy adult, I do not have the time to watch/listen to hours and hours of streams/videos/podcasts. (Thread)
I want to learn more. I am regularly researching online for discussions and learning points on racism and cultural appropriation. But most folks have only a limited amount of free time. I don't watch/listen to live plays of RPGs for the same reason. (No offense to those.)
What free time I do have, I want to use to play games and run RPGs. Time is a precious commodity, and we don't get it back. Thus I need to be ruthlessly efficient with my free time.
Things I have watched this week that I recommend:
I Am Not Okay With This (Netfilx)
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Deon Cole: Cole Hearted (Netflix)
Bumblebee (Hulu)
Bumblebee is the best of the live Transformers movies (IMO). It felt closest to the 80s Transformers with a great modern coating on it. I would watch more movies set in this version with similar direction.
I Am Not Okay With This: My heart belonged to the protagonist all the way. I am okay with the way season one ended.
Pay attention to the negative space around your scenery and objects. Filling up every available square can make the whole thing muddled. [Thread?]
I am not an art major. Most of what I learned from art came from decades of watching Bob Ross on public television. Since your island is essentially an interactive landscape painting, many of those lessons still apply.
Bob always said not to kill the dark spots by filling them with detail. You need the dark to make the light shine.
Same with islands. You need empty green grass and dirt to make the cool stuff pop out. It is more pleasing to the eye.