Episode 561 – why people roleplay, part 2
by Dan Repperger

* (0:24) Enjoying roleplaying as an artform.

* (1:44) When desires collide.

* (11:37) The opportunity to express or explore controversial ideas.

* (16:54) Indulging a power fantasy.

* (23:20) Stress relief.

* (30:28) Interacting with a particular world.

Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne

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Episode 560 – why people roleplay, part 1
by Dan Repperger

* (0:29) Brodeur gets back on the ladder again.

* (1:13) Dan plays doctor, which gets us wondering what makes people want to roleplay anything at all.

* (5:59) Why it’s good to know what motivates someone to roleplay.

* (10:07) Structured social interactions.

* (15:13) Exploration of self.

* (18:28) Exploration of others.

* (21:38) Escapism.

* (27:30) The opportunity for creativity.

Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne

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Episode 559 – the unoccupied average
by Dan Repperger

* (0:29) General Bootspital.

* (7:19) More observations from roleplaying in an MMO. Not using freakshow characters to make yourself stand out.

* (11:46) The great, unoccupied average. Distinguishing your character by who they are, not what they are.

* (27:35) How collaborative game-building can keep characters from being freakshows to begin with. The praise-worthy amount of heart that often goes into freakshow characters.

* (34:20) The potential laziness of a freakshow character. Using questions to develop the character past that initial laziness.

* (44:42) Sometimes average and interesting characters get made, simply because the person doesn’t realize what they’re playing is unusual in concept.

Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Laura

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Episode 558 – roleplaying in an MMO
by Dan Repperger

* (0:29) Fear the Boot: Quarantine Edition. Plus, Brodeur versus Ladder. Ladder wins. NOTE: Brodeur has not actually lost an arm or eye. I meant to say he’d lost use of them.

* (3:57) Roleplaying in an MMO, and why I never thought I’d do it.

* (5:29) My history with MMOs.

* (7:09) Comparing an MMO to any other electronic play surface.

* (9:41) Five qualities that help RP in an online game: environmental props, costuming, emotes, a thriving RP community, and private locations.

* (15:17) Why it’s best to have a large pool of roleplayers to draw from.

* (19:35) Tips for finding the right group a little faster.

* (21:55) The unexpected quirks created by roleplaying so anonymously.

* (27:44) Remembering that an MMO is just another medium of play.

Hosts: Dan

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Episode 557 – ending a long campaign, part 2
by Dan Repperger

* (0:24) Bringing everything together into a single ending. Remembering that the GM should get their say as well.

* (8:05) The collaborative building of a world with conflict. The natural concern for one’s own creation.

* (19:40) Differentiating the ending and epilogue of the game.

* (34:50) Knowing where to let go.

* (42:56) #SaveGamer…? Ask Brodeur. We’re not dealing with this one.

Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne

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Episode 556 – ending a long campaign, part 1
by Dan Repperger

* (0:30) Never humor Brodeur.

* (1:17) Jason Brick is launching a new flash fiction anthology, with several Fear the Boot hosts contributing. You can find the Kickstarter here.

* (4:23) The fine folks at Modiphius Entertainment feed Dan’s Enclave addiction, and he repays them by referring to Wasteland Warfare as Wasteland Warriors.

* (8:32) Discussing how to end a long campaign, as inspired by the end of our Skies of Glass actual play, along with an upcoming Masks campaign Wayne is preparing to wrap up.

* (10:18) An aside on projects we’ll be doing between major actual plays.

* (13:00) Hooray for even keeping a game alive until it ends!

* (15:06) Why the expectations around the end of the game create unique stress. Remembering it’s not just the GM’s ending.

* (18:22) Asking the players what they want from the ending without having them dictate the plot.

* (25:25) Writing the ending in session zero.

* (26:23) Getting back to the example ending from Skies of Glass.

* (36:33) Accepting player freedom in their choices and giving them some responsibility for their own satisfaction.

* (40:10) Respecting the difference between an individual character’s ending and the shared, group ending.

Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne

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Episode 555 – on models, part 2
by Dan Repperger

* (0:24) Brodeur’s response to our critiques. Settling disputes in online games.

* (3:12) Minis are just cool to create and use.

* (6:32) A form of art and inspiration.

* (11:40) The value to visual thinkers and visual learners.

* (21:40) Estimating the percentage of groups that use minis.

* (27:29) Minis as commemorative art.

* (36:06) Three ways of consuming miniatures.

* (44:03) A link to Silver Scales, who did excellent mini-painting work for Wayne and Dan.

Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne

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Episode 554 – on models, part 1
by Dan Repperger

* (0:29) Models, minis, figs, and toy soldiers. Brodeur proposes Frostgrave. Why Chad is wrong about the Enclave being fully defeated.

* (4:02) Minis in an RPG. Enriching or distracting? Brodeur’s blog post on the matter.

* (15:36) What miniatures bring to and take away from the typical roleplaying game. Distaste for collectibles and blind box purchases.

* (25:22) The added work surrounding minis. The need for more minis than you originally thought you’d need.

* (30:34) The separate hobby—and required skills—for building and painting minis.

* (36:55) The value in the mere presence of minis. Keeping things consistent.

Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne

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Episode 553 – revisiting COVID
by Dan Repperger

* (0:28) Brodeur’s site, Wayne’s site, and Fear the Boot’s Patreon.

* (3:49) Looking at an updated view of the effect COVID is having on tabletop gaming. Setting some parameters on the discussion.

* (8:47) The impact it’s had on our own games and gaming groups.

* (20:32) How COVID is affecting the podcast.

* (24:41) How COVID is affecting game creators, publishers, and retailers. Dan and Brodeur’s prior predictions for the con season.

* (30:50) An aside on miniature wargames and Gnarl versus Unicron.

* (34:28) The effect on manufacturing and distribution.

* (41:42) Will COVID have a positive, negative, or neutral effect on gaming?

* (53:04) The possible loss of talent from the industry.

Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan

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Episode 552 – structure and authority
by Dan Repperger

* (0:30) Nagging Brodeur to do an episode of Game Notes. Brodeur’s own show.

* (7:21) Revisiting command structures in a game. Waiting to set roles until after you’ve had a chance to play your character.

* (14:28) Your character isn’t their job.

* (21:44) Not having a group structure at all, juxtaposed with the inevitability of interpersonal organization.

* (31:39) Micromanagers in leadership roles.

* (35:28) Putting some focus on whether non-command personnel are right for their roles.

* (48:33) Unplanned shifts in role that occur during the story.

Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne

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