* (0:48) Fear the Boot + Pat – (Dan + Dan’s job) = episode 256
* (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
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We’re supposed to release on Wednesdays, and tomorrow is that Wednesday everyone is blacking out their content to protest SOPA or something. So this was completely planned. We’re glad to hear Wikipedia, Boing Boing and other sites are following the proud example of the most important site on the internet. Or at least our iTunes feed.
We strive to get an episode of some kind out every week, but sometimes life has other plans. This week, multiple hosts are unavailable for reasons that are mostly work-related, so I don’t have an episode to release. We should be back on next week, and I look forward to catching you all then!
* (0:12) Johann is an audio freak of nature.
* (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
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* (0:31) A big thanks to Luna for the Secret Santa gift! You can see a scan of it here and her online gallery here. We also talk about some original Battletech art we have.
* (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
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I apologize in advance for this episode. It was a bonus show recorded on New Years Eve, and nature pretty much just took its course. I have another (regular) episode in the hopper, which I will release later this week to make up for missing last week completely and then off-loading this on you today.
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.
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* (1:52) Wayne tries to one-up John by rolling a method 0.25 character.
* (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)
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* (0:29) You, me, them, us, and other difficult pronouns.
* (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)
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* (0:29) What jim’s been up to since we last talked with him. You can find his current blog at Post World Games.
* (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
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* (0:30) Dan’s first two games for Fear the Con V have been posted. Be sure to create or sign up for anything that interests you!
* (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
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