Or not.

Either way, leave Chris alone about it. He’s suffered enough… okay, who am I kidding. He was made to suffer. It’s his lot in life.

* (2:00) Stuart’s participation in the one-page dungeon design competition.  The mental exercise of paring content down to just what’s really needed.  The virtue of succinctness in the face of bloated games.

* (7:36) A case study on micro-RPGs, using Weird West as our example.  Knights of Cydonia.

* (10:18) Craft time on Fear the Boot!  You can follow along by looking at the online folding guide or viewing a video of Dan making one.

* (15:45) Capturing a character in just ten traits, taking up an area smaller than a standard playing card.

* (19:38) The choice to exclude a detailed setting and an explanation of what an RPG is.  The increasing exposure people have to the concepts of RPGs.  The use of implied setting to make the game bigger than the text itself.

* (29:33) The business aspects of selling a small book for a low price.  The advantages of being your own artist.  The IndieGoGo campaign for Stuart’s Weird West minis.

* (35:13) What Stuart’s playing apart from the games he’s written.

* (41:41) A micro-RPG in the hands of a brand new player or GM.

* (43:31) What the phrase “old school” means to Stuart and why he feels it applies to his game.  The G.I. Joe old school PSA parody (fair warning: there’s some strong language).  Discussion about the usefulness of vernacular labels.

Hosts: Chad, Chris, Dan, John, Wayne

Guests: Stuart Robertson

Information on the forums: http://www.feartheboot.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=15442

Gamers Outreach: http://gamersoutreach.org/

If people want to write their own letter, please address it to “Dear Soldier” and place it in an unsealed blank envelope. I have to request an address at the time of sending the letters, so I have no idea who it will go to right now. People can also use the website to send packages as well.

(From much hunt and peck) – simplified instructions:

1. Read the information here: http://anysoldier.com/HowToSend.cfm

2. Read the information here: http://anysoldier.com/faq.cfm

3. Go to this page and select someone from the left (The capital letters designate branch) and read their requests: http://anysoldier.com/WhereToSend/

4. Once you find someone who you wish to donate to, click the link on the main side of the page to request the address.

5. Use the info from steps 1 and 2 to put together a package of requested items or send a letter.

They have suggestions about where to find things the soldiers want on this page (http://anysoldier.com/WhatToSend.cfm), however the person putting together the package really needs to read the requests first. One request I read said basically – no more jerky please!

My kids love games.  My family has a weekly board/card game night that myself, my wife, and my kids all take part in.  On top of that, my kids have, with some help from parents, organized a gaming group that has a regular rotation and gives everyone a chance to get together and share new games with friends.  As a result, they’ve played a lot of games.

Recently, the idea came up of the kids starting a game review column.  This is the first installment.  Hopefully it will be helpful for those of you out there searching for good games to play with your own clans.  The first installment of what I hope will be an ongoing series is Oz Fluxx.

With no further ado, on with the reviews.

First up is Shiloh, age 15.

Oz Fluxx, a game full of funny references and wild actions, was a mix between excitement and a small let down. After playing Zombie Fluxx, Martian Fluxx, and Fluxx with all of the additional packs, Oz Fluxx was cute, but lacked new rules and interaction with the other players.

You start off with the basic rules, draw one, play one. The game is filled with the original rules, such as keeper limits, plays and draws. In fact, it seemed like that was all the game contained. I felt as if the rules were much more dull than I expected.

However, the keepers were cute and all Oz themed. You had the Scarecrow, the Tin Man, the Cowardly Lion, and Dorothy. You also had Keepers that were the silver slippers, the yellow brick road, and the Hot Air Balloon. They kept the game Oz themed, and not just like the original game.

There were a few particular rules that were Oz themed, such as, “Green Spectacles” which allows people who are wearing glasses or green clothing to draw and play an extra card. Another special rule is, “Magic Shoes” This allows players to click their heels three times and gain a card and play it. It would not count as one of the draw or play actions. While these are all fun, there are only a small number of Oz-themed special rules in the deck.

The actions were mostly general. Some had different names that went along with the Oz theme. One is, “It’s a Cyclone!” This action allows you to gather up all the keepers and creepers from the table and the discard pile and deal them out, starting with yourself. There’s another action with the name of “Ozma’s Decree”. This action allows all players to choose a “New Rule” from their hand and set them in front of you. You get to choose one, and discard the remainders. These are fun to play, when they come up, but the most actions that come up are the ones that are in other editions of Fluxx.

The Goals are all Oz themed, of course. They hold different goals you must reach, such as having Dorothy and Kansas (No Place Like Home), or having the Scarecrow and the Artificial Brain (The Smartest Dummy), or having Kansas and the Hot Air Balloon (Next Stop: Kansas!). They all are fun to read, and have very cute pictures to see.

Finally, the creepers are cutely Oz themed. You have “The Fighting Trees”, “The Wicked Witch Of The East”, “The Wicked Witch Of The West”, and “The Flying Monkeys”. Of course, if you have one of these, you cannot win, unless the goal says otherwise.

My final opinion on this game varies. It is very fun to play, and while the game does not last long, it has many cute references and different strategies. This is a very good take-along game if you have a few people to play with. It’s conveniently short. However, it does not hold so many Oz themed Actions and Rules. It was quite interesting and fun to play, though. I would suggest this game to any buyer.

Next in line is Eowyn, age 11.

OZ Flux is a game that always changes.

How do you play? Well, what you do is you start with a basic card. The card will say, “draw one play one”. That is what you begin with, but in the deck there are lots of “New Rules”. The new rules have different rules you may use.  Other than New Rules there are Actions, Keepers, Goals, Creepers, and Surprises. The actions are actions you can do with your cards. You use them once, then you put them in the discard pile. You do not need them to win, unlike keepers. I would say the game makers did a good job on the pictures for these cards. How you use these cards is: when you play a keeper card you set it in front of you and hope it will help you win. The next thing you would ask is: how do you win? How you win is some of your keepers could mach a goal. If you have the right Keepers or Creepers you win. Normally you can not win with Creepers but on certain goals you can. Then the last type of card is the surprise cards. There are four of these cards in the game. There is the one that will help you with actions. The one that will help you with keeper cards. There is one that helps with new rule cards and the one that helps with goal cards. These cards unlike other cards can be played at any time.

I think they did a good job making the game. I really think it is a fun game. You can play it really often because it only takes about half a hour and some times only fifteen minutes.

Finally, a succinct review from Xander, age 6.

This is a fun game!

Each of them also gave numeric ratings for the game, as follows:

Art: (Shiloh 5) (Eowyn 10) (Xander 5) –Average: 6.7

Style: (Shiloh 7) (Eowyn 7) (Xander 6) — Average: 6.7

Gameplay: (Shiloh 8) (Eowyn 6) (Xander 10) — Average 8

Overall: (Shiloh 8) (Eowyn 7) (Xander 10) — Average: 8.3

I hope some of you found this helpful.  If you have comments or suggestions, feel free to email us at familygamereview@gmail.com.  Also let us know if there’s a specific game you’d like to hear a review of.  Our family game nights run the range from Agricola to Uno, and we always like to try out new ones!

* (1:54) Much love for Anime Eggroll!  If you’re in the St. Louis area and looking for a good anime shop, we give them our highest recommendation.

* (2:29) An upcoming crossover show and what it doesn’t mean.

* (3:16) The frightening disease known as Chris’ Revenge.

* (5:51) The results of the Power 16 III semi-finals.  The last round has now commenced.  Results will be read during our Fear the Con recording, so get your votes in now!

* (11:42) Offering a new player the right amount of help to get them into a roleplaying game without overwhelming, intimidating, or annoying them.  Allowing changes along the way.  How long to hold back before you let them suffer the same consequences as an experienced character.

Hosts: Dan, Karla, Pat, Wayne

* (2:49) An update from John on the status of Bloodmoon Goblins.

* (3:43) The more obscure movies we’re interested in seeing during 2012.  We mentioned several things during the episode which you can find here: Dark Shadows, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, Snow White and the Huntsman, and finally Vanilla and Shovel Face.  The other movie Chad mentioned was Django Unchained, which only has fan-made trailers at this point.

* (18:48) Movie ratings.  Why so many movies end up PG-13 and our wish it wasn’t so.

* (27:33) A call to get your gas on at Chris’ expense!

* (34:05) Adapting an existing intellectual property (video game, TV show, movie, novel, etc) into a roleplaying game.  Discerning what the game would be about, without trying to act out the story the IP already told.  When the players don’t know the IP.  Building or adapting a rules system.  The episode of Dr. Who Dan refers to is Snakedance.

Hosts: Chad, Dan, John, Pat

* (4:30) Second round results from the Power 16 III.  You can vote on the third round here.  Third round voting ends at 6:00pm Central time on Tuesday, April 17th.

* (7:37) The People of Fear the Boot vs Johann.  Let the record show the defendant stands accused of the class A felony of being a Juggalo.  Defendant appeared in person to enter a plea of “not guilty”.  A pre-trial hearing was conducted by the court, after which the defendant was assigned legal counsel and held over for trial at a later date.

* (12:38) Impressions among the hosts from the character creation session for the Stone Keep campaign.  The differences between our approaches to starting a campaign and how we each make them work.

* (23:14) How dead-end games can jade players on character creation.  Whether character creation itself is an enjoyable task.

* (29:48) Why we no longer trust casinos that operate outside of state oversight.

* (31:46) Setting bloat.  Elements that are useless to building your own story.  When too much detail is provided, leaving no room for creativity.  Organizing setting material.  Facing down an intimidating stack of setting and history books that have piled up over the long life of an RPG.

Hosts: Chris, Dan, Johann, Pat

* (3:45) We try to start talking about video games that horribly disappointed us, but somehow end up talking about Juggalos.  How do they work?

* (12:25) Video games that went horribly off the ranch via plot, character development, or setting.  While it gets cut-off in this video, the “urine rocket” begins around 8:45.  The speed run of Morrowind can be seen here.

* (30:04) TV shows with crappy endings.  Our hatred of the “cycle of apocalypse and rebirth” theme, particularly in sci-fi.

* (33:13) Games we didn’t or couldn’t finish.

* (38:59) The ending that disappointed Wayne the most.  The beauty of emulators and save states.  As a slight correction, it was not the final fight against Sephiroth Dan couldn’t beat but rather one of Sephiroth’s previous end-game boss forms (“safer”, I believe).

* (44:52) What truly worries Dan about traveling.

Hosts: Chad, Dan, John, Wayne

* (6:32) A (hopefully unnecessary) disclaimer.

* (7:06) Dan’s impeccable moral clarity regarding urban fantasy.  I’ll let you guess who writes these show notes!

* (20:51) Faith in a roleplaying game.  The importance of creating expectations about what it can do, how it works, and how it will be measured.  The advantages of using mechanics or pure RP.  The role of the GM in interpreting a character’s faith.  Separating faith from sacrament.  Dealing with religious views that exclude competing truth-claims, particularly when held by a player at the table.

* (1:04:17) Faith in games that don’t overtly deal with the supernatural.

Hosts: Chad, Chris, Dan, Pat, Wayne

I think that most of the time someone in our industry tries to do an “intro” product, they’re really much more likely to be making a “switch from another TRPG” or a “play a TRPG again like you haven’t since you were a kid” product.

A product like Mouseguard, for example, has intro product potential but the way it is presented in terms of being a book, at a certain price, with a certain set of assumptions about the creative experiences of the potential players and GMs, would have a very hard time succeeding at bringing new players into the hobby.

A product like the Pathfinder Beginner Box is a bit closer to the mark, and I have hopes that it will work as intended.  I fear for its size, complexity and price though.

Things I learned while watching kids struggle to self-teach themselves TRPGs from behind one-way mirrors:

1:  They’re not patient.  They can’t easily connect information that comes at them from several different pages of a book, plus a chart or graph, plus a character sheet. They are so excited to “just play” that you can’t get them settled enough to process the complexity of most TRPG products.  More than 2 sources of information is overwhelming.  They’ll just tend to remember the last 2 things you showed them and forget the rest.

2:  They already know how to roleplay.  You tell them “you’re a knight going out to fight monsters”, and they get it.  They’ll happy speak in character and try to live up to their idea of what such a character would do.  Unfortunately, most game systems are more about saying “no” than saying “yes”, so their creative spark gets damped real quick.  Rather than giving them a way to process an adventure as a game with rules, the rules actually become a barrier between their innate sense of storytelling and the adventure they’re trying to have.

3:  Some kids need to be given a space to act that is protected.  In other words, you need to establish a way for each kid to speak and be heard without being overwhelmed by the noisiest, pushiest members of the bunch.  Some kids need to be given “permission” to do what they want to do.  They’re looking for an adult to validate their decision so they don’t “do the wrong thing”.  An encouraging attitude that reinforces that they’re doing just fine helps them overcome the fear of looking stupid, or acting “wrongly”.  And some kids need to be pulled aside and given a stern talk about sharing, being polite, and respecting others, and they may need to have a few “time outs” issued along the way to reinforce that those words will be enforced.

4:  Death is a Big Scary Thing.  It’s much, much better to have characters “fall down” or “be knocked out” rather than die.  Some kids will get paralyzed and have trouble participating because they self-identify with their characters very strongly and don’t like the emotions they have when they, or their friends “die”.  Make sure they know that “running away” is sometimes the right thing to do, and don’t let the other kids make that feel like being a “coward”.  Also don’t surprise them with catastrophe.  A failed save out of the blue that results in Bad Things is really jarring.  It’s much better to give them a framing statement like “that door looks mighty dangerous, it might be trapped”, so that they’re prepared for the potential that something could happen that will hurt their characters.  If you don’t do this, some kids will react by treating everything in the virtual environment like a bomb with a hair trigger.

So what happens when you take an experienced game designer who is:

A:  Used to asking players to integrate material from a matrix of sources
B:  Paid to create mechanics that manipulate the virtual world
C:  Expecting that each player will assert themselves when they want to act
D:  Using shock tactics, random violence, and surprise against the players

You get a designer making a game that isn’t going to work as an introduction to the hobby.  Why would we expect anything else; all the other products they’re paid to work on and passionate about do A-D.  What you need is a designer (ideally a design team) willing to approach the task with a very open mind, to be humble about watching kids test their work, learn from what they see and hear, and incorporate that into iterations of the design which are then tested again, and so on.  They need to learn about developmental psychology and how different ages understand and process different things.  And they need to see that the success of their work can’t be judged by what random internet reviewer says on RPG.NETor ENWorld, but instead on the basis of how effective the product is at taking a kid who doesn’t know how to play a TRPG and converting that kid into one who does, and who seeks out additional TRPG gameplay experiences.

RyanD

* (1:25) The Power 16 III is still up and running!  You can vote here.  Round one will end at 6:00pm Central time on March 20th.

* (2:02) We’re delaying the discussion on faith until Wayne and Chris are both on the mics.  This obviously requires a test to make sure Wayne and Chris are not the same person.

* (3:01) Our Twitter feed and topic ideas.  Plus a tangent on voice acting.

* (6:03) NPCs the players are uniquely attached to.  Steps for creating or finding those characters.  Some ideas for leveraging such NPCs in the game.

* (28:49) Should RPG books include advice on handling problem players or other table-side issues that are likely to arise in the life of a gaming group?

* (36:55) Improving or speeding up character creation.

Hosts: Chad, Dan, Pat, Wayne

* (1:40) The Power 16 III is now up and running!  You can vote here.  Round one will end at 6:00pm Central time on March 20th.

* (3:54) We’re proud to announce the release of the Narratavius app — written by Michael Ham and horribly mispronounced by Dan — featuring a Skies of Glass story by Chris.

* (7:02) Documentaries, comedies, and other entertainment that focuses on RPGs.  The distinction between those that look at the hobby versus using RPG intellectual properties.  What effect (if any) they have on non-gamers.  What we’d like to see from such efforts.

* (30:39) Recovering a game after a long hiatus.  The importance of desire, energy, and initiative.  Getting people back into the flow.  Why the players likely need to  contribute more than the GM.

Hosts: Chad, Chris, Dan, Pat, Wayne

* (7:51) Fear the Con V is still on its way and looking good!  If you’re a GM, we could use your help.  If you’re a player, then just be sure to grab the good games before they’re gone.

* (11:33) A discussion about fantasy fiction, mostly focusing on Tolkien and Leiber.  Somehow a tangent on Tom Clancy gets worked into the middle.

* (25:40) Realism and internal consistency in a roleplaying game.  When it’s important, when you should stick by your guns, and when to just let things go.

Hosts: Chad, Johann, John, Pat

* (2:02) Fear the Con V could use some more Game Masters, if you’re willing to run a game.  A flyer is also available if you’re interested in posting one in your local game or book store.

* (4:31) If you’d like to make any donations toward Danger Brewery’s effort to bring more beer to the con, you can do so either via Facebook or straight through PayPal.

* (7:05) How each of the hosts got their start in roleplaying games, video games, and other form of geekery.  The systems and experiences that most shaped their views on the hobby.

Hosts: Chad, Johann, John, Pat

Also, for anyone that’s interested in following our Stone Keep remote game, we just wrapped up character creation last night.  Our first post-game discussion has started on the forum.

* (40:29) When the GM walks away.  The differences between managing rules disputes in RPGs and board games.  What to do if the Game Master quits the game over a point of contention.

Hosts: Chad, Chris, Dan, Pat, Wayne

For those of you interested in following our “grand experiment” campaign, you can find the forum areas here.

* (3:25) A big thanks to Wizards of the Coast columnist, Tracy Hurley, for mentioning us in an article on Gamer Resolutions!

* (4:56) At Fear the Con V, Chris Ings will be running a Bloodname tournament for the surname, Badass.

* (8:22) Announcing the contestants for the Power 16 III!  Voting will start in a few weeks.

* (14:05) Introducing an online game the hosts will be playing using Pathfinder rules and the Forgotten Realms setting.  We’ll be using this to help us understand each other’s game styles and (more importantly) try to apply our own ideas to build and maintain a game.  Whether this succeeds or fails, we hope it will serve as a great object lesson.

* (18:26) To start things off, Johann asks some questions about the intended level curve of the game, which leads Dan to ask why that’s important to his character.

* (34:28) Bringing together the cultures of different gaming groups and merging them into a new, mutually enjoyable culture.

* (37:10) An invitation to the audience to not only observe but also participate in our little experiment.

* (38:46) Lacking the time to develop our next topic, we spin down the episode.  However, we kept recording, so Chad’s question gets a thorough exploration in the episode coming next week!

Hosts: Chad, Chris, Dan, Pat, Wayne

* (1:36) Wayne will be posting his first game for Fear the Con V this Friday.  If you’re interested in passing out flyers or hanging them up in your local game store, you can download them here.

* (6:21) Our Old Republic guild, House Nachash, is still going strong.  You can find details on our forum.

* (7:33) Poop sock?

* (10:11) Pat and his peach cider.

* (12:28) Resuming an RPG campaign after a long break.  Using the break as an opportunity for taking stock of what’s working, revising where needed.  Easing back in.  Keeping the game alive through outside conversation, or at least keeping the group in contact through a filler game.  The pitfalls when coming back, including social distractions and forgetting what was going on.

* (36:09) How to get the most out of different GMing styles.  Appreciating the distinctions and adapting your play-style to get the most from your Game Master.  Evaluating your GM style.  How to get the most honest feedback from your players.

Hosts: Chris, John, Karla, Pat, Wayne

* (1:17) Introducing our new game, Naughty or Nice to Chris.  We setup the background topic, explain the rules, and have an tangent on “sentient” versus “sapient”.

* (7:42) Chris restarts the episode.  I’m not sure why, but he’s in control.

* (9:12) We discuss player contribution to the game.  To what extent should players be allowed to add things to the game — even if they seem out of place — for the sake of their own enjoyment?  We start by jumping back to the contributions that break immersion for each of us.  The show goes completely off the ranch from there, and I don’t think we ever answered the original question.

Hosts: Chad, Chris, Dan, Johann, Pat, Wayne

* (4:44) Handling the logistics of a PC death.  We don’t debate whether characters ought to die but instead how to keep that person involved, manage the mood around the table, and minimize story disruption.

* (22:14) Taking advantage of the unexpected moments of great story and RP that happen during a game, without trying to squeeze them for too much.

* (28:45) Chad and modules.  Nature takes its course.

* (39:30) Managing player morale during the ebb and flow of a game.

* (45:34) The greatest game you’ve never played: Hot Lead!

Hosts: Chad, Chris, Dan, Johann, Pat, Wayne

Once we get coherent (16:33), the topic is things we’ve not been able to do yet in our gaming career but really want to someday.

Hosts: Beth, Chad, Dan, John, Pat

FAIR WARNING: This episodes is quite a bit more crass and directionless than our normal episodes.

* (3:52) Dan offers Chris some unsolicited PR advice.

* (5:10) Following a suggestion from forum user, Concise Locket, we discuss going outside of the game-provided mechanics to resolve actions within a game.  How other metaphors can enhance or distract from the game, and some tips for making them blend.

* (21:57) Giving life and meaning to social events — such as parties or banquets — in an RPG.  Revealing scene, making memorable NPCs, and progressing plot through the event.  The difference between social events triggered by player action versus GM decree.

Hosts: Chad, Chris, Dan, John, Pat, Wayne

(Wayne’s future sorcerer: STR 16, DEX 10, CON 13, INT 11, WIS 13, CHA 15)

* (1:10) Fear the Con 5 registration is still up and running quite nicely.

* (1:32) An invitation to our Old Republic guild.

* (2:18) Method 0.5 character creation meets John’s bard.

* (4:02) Pat goes for Husband of the Year with his (properly placed) priorities regarding Star Wars: The Old Republic.  Also featuring the car story and fish story!

* (15:37) Gaming with significant others.  How bringing that special someone into a game can greatly benefit or drag down the experience.  We also present some strategies for getting the most out of it while preparing for potential pitfalls.  This leads into the romance and drama of Battletech.

Hosts: Beth, Dan, John, Karla

(John’s future bard: STR 11, DEX 10, CON 15, INT 13, WIS 10, CHA 9)

* (3:34) jim must defend his name, Y, and W.

* (6:05) Pat goes for Father of the Year by taking a break from World of Warcraft to devastate his kid in a family game.

* (9:43) Giving games the right degree of substance and meaning, without making them overly poignant.

* (18:42) The role of the GM, specifically as it’s been taught (albeit unintentionally) by the legacy of D&D.  First-person versus third-person roleplayers.  On a side note, this episode was recorded when Penny Arcade’s series, The Conflux, was only a few strips in.

* (29:53) The “second Renaissance” of roleplaying games.  Also the relationship and perception driven model preferred by many newer games.

* (41:34) The seven types of gamers.

* (51:32) The important synergy between designers and marketers that’s often missing from game development.

Hosts: Chad, Chris, Dan, Pat, Wayne

Guests: jim pinto

* (1:39) Chad and Pat’s horrifying idea for episode 300.

* (7:04) Yet  again, a “minor” topic unexpectedly dominates the show!  Wayne’s opportunity to defend his bard against the insults made in last episode turns into…

* (13:57) …a discussion on knowledge skills that reveal hidden or plot-important information.  We kick around whether to include them at all, how to let them be useful without breaking the game, and the open communication the GM and player ought to have during character creation.

* (38:43) The happy accidents of gaming, when unexpected actions of the player or rolls of the dice make the game better than the GM planned.  How to create room for such events and capitalize on them when they occur.

Hosts: Chad, Chris, Dan, Pat, Wayne

* (3:12) Chris is writing Skies of Glass serial fiction.

* (4:37) We give Pat a chance to prep for Beth coming onto Fear the Boot.

* (6:23) John gives an update on Bloodmoon Goblins.  This leads to a discussion about collaborating with other people during system or setting design, and how that can apply even to Game Masters running a well-established game.

* (13:47) Handling shopping in an RPG.  Various approaches to handling it without interrupting the flow of the game.  How to handle shopkeeper inventory, character inventory, and item availability.  Information on the Booter calls Chad mentioned can be found here.

* (45:52) Why Chad feels his character won’t work in the absurd game we’re contemplating.

Hosts: Chad, Dan, John, Pat

* (1:27) Fear the Boot is co-sponsoring a cruise through Gamer Adventures on March 24 through April 1, 2012, and we hope you’ll join us.

* (2:51) How to approach bridge games, meaning the games that fall between major plot points or heavy action, in which character advancement, bookkeeping, or roleplaying dominate the session.  Some approaches for tuning them to your group’s taste and recognizing the opportunities they present.

* (18:43) Handling large scale games.  Determining what’s important to deal with in detail versus abstracting out, how to keep track of resources, divvy up paperwork, and make major NPCs memorable.

Hosts: Chad, Chris, Dan, John, Wayne

* (0:59) An extremely deep, philosophical, scholarly debate over the hottest chick on Star Trek.

* (13:07) Using Wheel of Time and Lord of the Rings as a jumping off point for a discussion on “upward” versus “downward” fantasy and which trope more accurately describes the average fantasy campaign.  Side topics include high and low fantasy, the role of equipment, and the absurdity of most settings’ economies.

* (26:12) A reflection on the ridiculousness of ‘Mechs as viable combat machines juxtaposed against how just plain awesome they are to use in a game.

* (30:32) Dealing with “caster supremacy”.  Specifically, the idea that certain types of casters are significantly more powerful than non-casting classes in D&D 3.0, D&D 3.5, and Pathfinder.  Suggestions for keeping them in balance through gentleman’s rules, power reductions to casters, or power increases to non-casters.

* (59:36) The website for Fear the Con 5 is up and ready for you to create and join games!  If you’re looking to split a ride or room, be sure to check the thread on our forums where people are working out those arrangements.

Hosts: Johann, John, Pat, Wayne

* (2:09) The website for Fear the Con 5 is up and ready for you to start creating and joining games!  If you’re looking to split a ride or room, be sure to check the thread on our forums where people are working out those arrangements.

* (7:44) Zingers.  What more can be said?  They also talk about Halloween candy, costumes, and trick-or-treating.

* (23:04) Advice for GMs that need to run rude, hateful, or bigoted NPCs.  How to keep such characters believable without crossing any lines your group can’t stomach.

* (38:47) Adding detail to the smaller parts of the game which often get ignored as the group focuses on the big picture.  In case you’re not familiar with it, here’s an explanation of Chekhov’s Gun.

Hosts: Chad, Chris, John, Pat

http://www.feartheboot.com/ftb/index.php/archives/category/podcasts/feed

* (0:24) Introducing guest host, Willie.

* (0:49) Introducing Erik Mona.

* (1:34) The size, state, and explosive growth of the Pathfinder game and Pathfinder Society.

* (3:23) Erik’s more thorough introduction, including his resume in the gaming industry.

* (6:35) We ask Erik to explain exactly what the job title of “publisher” means and what specific roles he fills at Paizo.

* (9:10) How past experience with the RPGA and Living campaigns affected the formulation of the Pathfinder Society.

* (22:14) An after-school D&D club in 1983, how Erik’s parents fought to get him in, and how it affected the trajectory of his life.

* (30:44) Erik’s take on Pathfinder being called “D&D 3.75″.  We also talk about the possibility of a sequel edition.

* (36:09) The upcoming Pathfinder Beginner Box.  You can find details and see the unboxing video on their site.  We also talk about the market viability of box set products in general.

* (50:13) The history, purpose, and future intentions for the Paizo online store.

* (56:58) Future projects coming up at Paizo, including the Pathfinder Battles miniatures.

Hosts: Chad, Dan, Johann, Wayne, Willie

Guests: Erik Mona

* (0:30) Welcoming Adam from Kicked in the Dicebags.

* (1:40) The March of Dimes charity auction — with prizes sponsored by Gnome Stew — is still in progress.  Be sure to get in your bids!

* (2:03) Show transcripts are still being made for our episodes.  Links will be given a few days after each episode releases.

* (2:21) The site for Fear the Con 5 is live!  Get signed up and join us in St. Louis in May of 2012!

* (5:28) Custom fangs have become too cheap for Wayne’s taste.

* (7:09) The loss of a dropship in our Battletech game serves as the catalyst for a discussion on defeat in a roleplaying game.  We talk about its capacity for adding drama, realism, and emotion to the game, while conversely being able to discourage or drain the players.

* (20:00) Wayne commenting on some old gaming notes leads into Dan describing the collection of documents he typically uses when running a game.  With our usual disclaimer for potentially offensive content, here is a link to the pimp’s prayer.

* (26:20) Getting a brand new player up to speed on the hobby of roleplaying, their first setting, and a system — without overwhelming them in the process.

* (52:16) The video game giveaway will be ending on October 23rd with the winners drawn on October 24th, so this is your last chance to get entered.

Hosts: Adam, Chad, Dan, John, Pat, Wayne

* (0:35) Wayne tries to hijack the show to talk about Superman.  You know what that means: we talk about Batman instead!  The blog post on the hosting arrangement can be found here.

* (3:07) Alex (aka Lizard Farmer) is creating transcripts of the show.  Check the show notes a few days after each episode releases for a link to the transcript.  An explanation of his idea can be found on our forums.

* (5:39) Our next March of Dimes charity auction has kicked off!  Prizes for this auction are being provided by the Gnome Stew website.  As with the previous auctions, 100% of the funds raised will go to the March of Dimes.

* (8:06) Introducing Joe Wetzel and Keith Curtis!  Joe has been developing Hexographer, Dungeonographer, and DungeonMorph Dice.  Keith’s work can be found on his portfolio site or Bloodmoon Goblins.

* (12:02) The importance of maps for creating scale, consistency, fairness, and depth.

* (26:34) How to build and fill in a map when you’re starting with nothing.  The title Joe mentions is Dawn of Worlds.

* (35:10) Filling in the details when you have a map with major locations already set but nothing in mind to occupy the gaps between.

* (40:06) A quick survey of climatology and how different climate zones form on a planet.  The factors that figure into such estimations and just how important they ought to be when designing your game world.

* (52:48) Understanding scale when designing an area, particularly when you’re contemplating volume as opposed to surface area.

* (57:20) The projects Joe and Keith are working on right now.  Joe’s work — including things not already linked in the show notes — can generally be found on Inkwell Ideas.

* (1:03:27) The video game giveaway is still on, so be sure to get entered if you haven’t already!

Hosts: Chad, Chris, Dan, Karla, Wayne

Guests: Joe Wetzel, Keith Curtis

The most popular sites for crowd funding are Kickstarter and IndieGoGo, though I’ve been told there are many others.  Depending on the site, a project may need to reach its entire funding before anyone gets charged, or conversely, be allowed to cash out shy of the goal.  Typically, rewards are offered to thank people that donate at varying amounts.  For example, you might get to contribute to the setting, receive an autographed copy, or even get a personal visit from the producer.

Let me start by saying I think this is a wonderful thing.  Podcasting allowed us to get out content that no radio station would have ever picked up.  And in the same way, crowd funding allows people to get the cash they need in the absence of a major financial backer.  Fans can suddenly open their wallets and enable the things they want to see, often through an aggregation of very modest donations from many people.  Publishers get a chance to see their ideas come to fruition and, by observing donations, get an early sense of how the product might do in the marketplace.

Unfortunately, I’m seeing several problems start to emerge.

First and most importantly, I fear that too many people are picking up on this.  The first Kickstarter project I remember seeing was Mikey Mason’s Impotent Nerd Rage.  Since then, I’ve seen many, many more.  The bulk of them are great ideas, and I have nothing but the utmost support for the people doing them.  But with an ever-increasing number of people kicking these projects off, how long before funding fatigue starts to set in and Kickstarter projects become background noise no different than the billboards along a highway?

It’s hard to find truly academic numbers on this sort of thing, but most estimates I’ve found say that only between 30% and 40% of crowd funded projects reach their goal.  And of those that fail, apparently a significant percentage don’t even raise a single dollar.  In an economy of finite currency, contributing cash is a lot harder than clicking “Like” on Facebook.

Second, I think many fundraisers outpace themselves.  When John first brought up using Kickstarter for Bloodmoon, we sat down and thought pretty hard about the goal.  How much will this project cost?  Where can we trim the budget?  Sure, we have an established fan base of a reasonable size, but how much money are we actually likely to get?

I think the situation is even worse for people that have a great idea but no public presence.  Outside of family and friends, projects end up with no contributors and fall embarrassingly short of the goal.  If the site requires full funding, that means you don’t see a single dime.  If the site allows partial funding, you’re left trying to explain what you’ll do with the money in your pocket that’s less than you need to meet your original promises.

With the dreary part out of the way, I want to offer some advice.  I’m sure it will be neither perfect nor exhaustive, but at least it’s better than stating the problem and walking away.

1. People are giving you their money, and they want to know how it will be used.  Talk openly about what you’ll be producing, what features your product will have, and generally how donations will be spent.
2. Set a budget.  Research what it will cost to take your idea from inception to publication.  Ask people in the industry to look over your flowchart to see if you’ve missed an expense.
3. Review your budget and decide if it’s a realistic goal.  Sure, your friends love your homebrew game, but that doesn’t mean the public will front $20,000 for you to make it.  Ask yourself honestly how much you can raise with the people you have access to.  If this is your first time out, maybe it’s better to try for a few hundred bucks, build a following from that project, and get more ambitious later.
4. Be prepared to find some wiggle room in that budget!  How can you get the amount down to something you’re likely to raise?  Maybe it’s time to consider a little less art or purely electronic publication.  The specifics are for you to decide, but make the financial and product goals align.
5. Before selling the product, you have to be able to sell the idea of funding the product.  How are you going to find people that are interested in the idea and likely to support you with a contribution?  And once you’ve got their attention, what sort of text or video message will you use to get them to commit?
6. If your project falls under its funding goal, have a plan already in place for the amount you raised.  I don’t recommend announcing that plan early (why give the impression you don’t believe in your project?) but know what you’ll say if you fall short.  Those people want something for their money, so maybe you can put together a less ambitious version of the original idea or maybe you’ll let contributors vote on a charity it goes to.
7. Be equally ready for the reverse situation.  If you happen to go over your goal, what are you going to do with the extra money?  Make the intended product better?  Put it toward another project?  Donate it?

The way we’re going to address this is by returning Fear the Boot to the description it’s carried in the RSS feed since Episode 1.

Fear the Boot is an irreverent, round table discussion of tabletop role playing games. In this weekly show we debate game-related issues, offer advice for improving your game, and poke fun at the hobby. Our cast changes a little from show to show, but we always assemble a group of dynamic individuals with divergent views, guaranteeing you will hear several perspectives on everything we discuss.

For each show, we will have 3 – 5 hosts present, drawn from the list given above.  That flexibility accomplishes two things.  First, we can make sure we’ve tapped the hosts with the most interest or expertise on a given subject.  Second, it allows the remaining hosts to take some weeks off to spend with family or pursue other projects, such as Fear the Con, Skies of Glass, Epoch of Rysos, and Bloodmoon Goblins.

I don’t expect this change to have any significant impact on the show.  All of the hosts will still be appearing on the show and active on the forums.  However, I wanted to explain in advance why the staffing will shift in seemingly random fashion from week to week.

http://thisjustinfromgencon.com/2011/10/02/tjigencon2011-bonuswrapup/

* (0:37) Introducing Ken Hite.

* (1:39) Contrary to what I said in the episode, This Just In…From Gen Con! is still editing the show I guested on.  I’ll post a link here as soon as it’s ready to go.

* (1:54) Our video game giveaway is still in progress.  Be sure to get entered!

* (2:21) Wayne presents Dan with a gift from Brian.  A big “Thank you!” from Dan for taking the time to send us the note and chainmail dicebag!

* (3:42) We kick off the interview by asking Ken about his rather unusual education and how it affects his work in the game industry.

* (6:51) Ken gives us his observations on the state of RPGs.  He also answers some questions about the rise of story-driven games.

* (15:19) A question about how Ken got started in GURPS leads to a discussion of professionalism (or more accurately, the lack thereof) in the RPG industry.

* (23:05) Ken begins settling long-running FtB marital disputes.  Chris kicks this one off with the GM screen, and then Dan asks about social mechanics.  Fortunately, Chris gives this some genuine purpose by questioning whether the way a person runs games affects how they write them.

* (30:54) Dan asks Ken for some tips on running horror games.

* (41:43) Following the suggestion of Ryan Dancey, we begin The Ken Hite Three Word Game!

* (48:49) Ken’s past, current, and upcoming work, including Night’s Black Agents and Star Trek.

Hosts: Chris, Dan, John, Pat, Wayne

Guest: Kenneth Hite

* (0:30) Happy birthday to Chris!

* (1:38) John announces the closing of Bloodmoon Goblins’ fundraiser and explains where things are headed next.

* (2:21) Quick updates on GAME convention and Fear the Con 5.

* (2:39) FlatCon is coming up on October 21-23, 2011 in Bloomington, IL.  All proceeds from the convention are donated to the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life.

* (3:15) Fear the Boot is giving away some free games, thanks to Tex!  If you’d like to enter for any of the titles mentioned, you can do so here.

* (7:31) The process of picking a system and setting when your group is starting a new campaign.  How to balance everyone’s interests.  Whether the GM should be able to make a take-it-or-leave-it pitch.

* (31:14) Collaboration in an established setting.  How to get the players involved and help them feel like they own a part of the game world without contradicting what’s in the books.

* (38:08) Revisiting the group template with some new and changed perspectives.  Explaining what it is, why it’s important, and how to build one.

Hosts: Dan, John, Pat, Wayne

* (0:00) A bonus episode disclaimer, followed by an explanation of why they don’t really work.

* (2:23) Explaining the so-called crimson (or scarlet) pumpkin.  You can find one here, in case you live near Chris.

* (4:47) Exhibit A: Chris’ first time out drinking.

* (12:09) Exhibit B: Chris and the character scars.

* (18:32) Exhibit C: Master Threeballs and the jocks’ junk.

Hosts: Chris, Dan, John, Pat, Wayne

* (2:05) Fear the Boot still plans on attending the GAME Convention in Springfield, Missouri, October 7 – 9, 2011.

* (2:42) If you’re interested in playing the Old Republic MMO, Fear the Boot has a guild already forming on the official game site.  You can see details and sign up to run with us here!

* (5:00) Why every roleplaying game should come with a pronunciation guide for all of its proper nouns.

* (10:42) Getting people in your gaming group to step up and take leadership roles in the party, particularly when they’re not naturally dominating.  The distinction between explicit and implicit leaders and how to work with both.

* (24:49) Chris reflects on his rant from the last episode and goes on to tell us a story about his childhood.

* (26:47) Rewarding players for doing extra prep or post-game work.

* (37:06) Helping someone create a character for a setting they’ve never played in.

Hosts: Chris, Dan, John, Pat, Wayne

* (3:22) Pat has a gift for Wayne’s birthday.  This leads to a conversation about comic collections, older comic storylines, and related tangents.

* (7:41) John’s Bloodmoon Goblins Kickstarter is still going strong and accepting donations, pre-orders, and other reward purchases!

* (8:35) With Wayne’s story concluded, Chris has launched a new series of serial fiction on the Skies of Glass website.

* (10:28) Revisiting invasion stories to pick up some discussion threads we either missed or didn’t explore sufficiently in the prior show.  We start off with invaders that lack depth because they’re more like a force of nature than a hostile culture.

* (14:34) When the invasion is a backdrop as opposed to the central plot.  The relationship between setting and story, and the inevitable bleed between the two.

* (17:09) Playing as the invader instead of the invaded.  Determining whether the characters agree with the invasion or oppose it, and keeping the game going either way.

* (33:27) Narrating the invasion event.  Working out the pacing in a way that makes sense for your campaign.  Educating your players about the two sides, particularly when the game is not based on a well-known setting or historical event.

Hosts: Chris, Dan, Johann, Pat, Wayne

* (1:55) Introducing (or reintroducing) Ryan Dancey.

* (7:16) Ryan has been writing a series of columns for EN World.  The links are provided at the end of the show notes.

* (7:44) Some information on the MMO he’s currently helping develop, including an explanation of what he means by a “sandbox game”, when used in the context of online play.

* (14:57) Chris harkens back to a promo item he received at the D&D Third Edition release party.  This leads into some questions about the overwhelming success of the OGL, even in the face of newer editions of D&D.

* (24:50) Revisiting Ryan’s previous list of predictions.  We also get a list of new predictions.

* (31:14) Some theories about the shifting demographics of gamers and their interests, using Gen Con 2011 as an anecdotal jumping-off point.

* (49:21) The lack of a WotC announcement at Gen Con raises some questions and also serves as a reminder of just how small the industry is.

Hosts: Chris, Dan, John, Pat

Guest: Ryan Dancey

http://www.enworld.org/forum/columns/299860-4-hours-w-rsd-who-am-i.html
http://www.enworld.org/forum/columns/301385-4-hours-w-rsd-who-sitting-your-table.html
http://www.enworld.org/forum/columns/302913-4-hours-w-rsd-realtime.html
http://www.enworld.org/forum/columns/304716-4-hours-w-rsd-take-note.html
http://www.enworld.org/forum/columns/306026-4-hours-w-rsd-lets-have-flamewar.html
http://www.enworld.org/forum/columns/308179-4-hours-w-rsd-get-some-feedback.html

* (7:28) If you’re playing Champions Online, consider joining the Fear the Boot guild, Awkward Confessors.  You can find out more on the forums.  My essay on MMOs can be found here.

* (11:17) Dan delivers a rant entitled, “Dammit, put that game down!”

* (16:57) Be sure to visit John’s Bloodmoon Goblins site, watch the promo video, and consider making a donation toward the effort.

* (17:51) Running a game where invasion is the primary plot line or setting feature.  Creating stories that are believable, yet still offer compelling opportunities for player success.  Starting the invasion, defining the invaders, and setting goals for the protagonists.  Drawing from real world history for inspiration.  Handling the pacing issues that can be caused by a resistance that builds momentum over a long period of time.

Hosts: Chris, Dan, Karla, Wayne

* (0:47) Why we’re doing a bonus episode, and Pat’s favorite (non-existent) Care Bears.

* (1:34) Introducing Bloodmoon Goblins, a Pathfinder supplement John is creating.  He needs our help funding it, so you can find the donation site, promo video, and reward options on his Kickstarter site!

* (7:58) Pat and Dan trade gifts (though Dan’s ends up with John).  This leads into a variety of stories that were probably best left untold.

* (19:10) Pat learns about the origin and history of the Bellamy salute.

* (22:08) The host division over the upcoming Rise of the Planet of the Apes movie.  (“Upcoming” when this was recorded, now in theaters.)

* (33:16) Conjecture about our weekly D&D campaign, whether it’s about to die, and (if that happens) what opportunities that presents for the show.

* (35:57) Two upcoming charity auctions.

Hosts: Dan, John, Pat, Wayne

If you were at Gen Con, you obviously know what the convention has to offer and have likely made up your mind about going back in the future.  However, if you’ve never been, I really can’t recommend the event strongly enough.  It’s one heck of a spectacle, and it’s also nice to have one weekend in the year where geeks take over a town, letting you know loud and clear that you’re not the only one that’s into the things you love.  I hope more of the hosts are in attendance next year, so we can provide coverage of the extraordinarily diverse events the con has to offer.

Last of all, to make up for our inability to cover all of the bases with half of the crew, we partnered with This Just In…From Gen Con!, helping finance their coverage of the con.  If you want some great interviews in podcast form, be sure to check their site!

Something else I observed is that while the dealer hall seemed to be a little bit smaller than in previous years, the gaming halls had grown larger.  If you come to this con and find yourself bored, you’re either really bad at simple tasks (like sitting down at tables) or just not a gamer.

Among the booter crowd, I saw the aforementioned Spin the Issues, along with Nuts, Paranoia, Star Trek, Battletech, and other games being enjoyed.  I personally played in several those, including a great Battletech scenario run by Chris Ings in which disgruntled Solaris fighters, Word of Blake zealots, and Lyran troops tangled in a three-way clash with a local militia caught between.  I’m proud of how my team (the Solaris fighters) performed, though ultimately I had to concede that the Lyrans had better map position in regard to the communication tower, which was the stated objective of the game.

I also ran a classic FASA Star Trek game, with a 50/50 mix of new and veteran players.  I decided to recreate the initial battle from The Wrath of Khan, with the Enterprise starting off unprepared and the Reliant losing its shields six turns in.  (16309?  What level of crappy encryption is that?)  Keith Curtis and Ed Sawyer ran the respective ships, and they both did an awesome job of roleplaying Kirk and Khan.  I noted some setup mistakes I made as the Game Master, but everyone had a great time.  I think I’ll be running this one again at Fear the Con 5.  And for anyone that’s curious, the Enterprise won.

If you’re into organized play, there was plenty of that going on as well.  Wizards of the Coast was running a con-wide game in which three forces clashed over the city of Neverwinter.  I also saw the Paizo/Pathfinder folks there in force.  And there were demo teams from just about every company you can imagine.

If you need something really different to do, there’s the live-action, puzzle-solving, monster-fighting, special-effects-bonanza known as True Dungeon.  We ran through that again this year.  It was enjoyable, though I’m not a fan of the increased group size.  Eight people were hard enough to organize, and ten is just a mob.  I wish I had some pictures or video of the various rooms and animatronic monsters, some of which were breathtaking.  Unfortunately, they don’t allow cameras back there.  The only tidbit I can give is that I wasn’t expecting the gargoyle to jump off its pedestal.  If you were there, you know what I’m talking about.

I never took a head count at any of the events, but between the TOFTBCH gatherings and random handshakes in the hall, I think I met around 100 listeners at Gen Con this year.  Fine people, one and all.  I’m sure there are also other listeners I just didn’t happen to bump into.  I won’t start listing names of people I met, because for every name I mention there will be one I forget.  But I can’t stress enough how great it was meeting some booters for the first time and connecting with others yet again.  If you’re one of those people, yes, I’m talking to you!

As for the general attendees, Gen Con is a great place to take the pulse of gaming.  This year, I was reminded that our hobby is evolving.  Every year I see more card games and board games, with a few less RPGs.  I don’t think that represents a decline in RPGs, so much as an increasing number of publishers.  Back in the 80s and 90s, there were a small number of companies that really dominated the scene, and they showed up in force.  Technology has made publication more approachable, leaving less companies on top with a growing number in the second and third string.  They’re putting out great products but might not be able to justify the cost of a booth at Gen Con.

Whether my guess is right or not, seeing the percentage of booths taken up by RPG companies receding ever-so-slowly makes me a little sad.  But the general attendance was up, and to know that the culture of tabletop gaming is on the rise warms my heart.  I also saw an increasing diversity in the age, gender, race, etc, represented which says that our culture is not only here to stay, but it’s reaching across divides it’s historically struggled to cross.  Is our hobby changing?  Sure.  That doesn’t mean it’s fading away.

The first convention I ever attended was a local, St. Louis con back in 1991.  I remember the first two thoughts I had upon entering the main hall: “Holy crap, I’m not the only one into this stuff!”…followed shortly thereafter by…”Wow, everyone here is so nice.”  Both are true of the Gen Con attendees as well.  Watching our subculture descend upon a town gives you a certain sense of being where you belong.  For once, loving D&D or knowing obscure things about anime gets the people around you energized instead of annoyed.  As a man that still struggles with some degree of “gamer shame”, that’s a refreshing feeling.

To close this post off, I’ll go ahead and deal with one of the things several people have already asked about: Pat’s Gen Con photo roll.  Fair warning that while these pictures are all PG rated, they’re…well…what you’d expect Pat to be taking pictures of.  So here ya go.

 Turnstile attendance was over 119,707 with 36,733 unique attendees present for 96 hours of gaming, cosplay, music, shopping and more. This positive spike in turnout represents a greater than 20% increase in a single year. Game event participation grew even more steeply, with over 250,000 event tickets yielding an over 26% expansion throughout the Best Four Days In Gaming!

I’ll come back soon with more posts detailing our experience gaming, shopping, and socializing at the con, so keep checking this space!  Also, I realize we haven’t put out an episode yet this week, so I’ll make it up to you guys by releasing two next week.