* (0:29) Fear the Con appears to have catering, but we could still use more GMs!
* (5:21) Laundering identities.
* (7:03) Game Masters getting fixated on things that aren’t important to the game they’re running.
* (12:00) A lack of flexibility. The three clue rule.
* (19:36) GM distress when the party solves something too quickly.
* (26:32) Let’s get passive-aggressive and make the GM solve their own problem! Obstructionist Game Masters.
* (33:39) Problems should have purpose.
* (43:24) Difficulty that’s out of place.
Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Julia, Wayne
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* (0:29) A new show type on the horizon: phone the Boot, or something similarly clever.
* (2:04) Kids’ games at Fear the Con. Our episode on gaming with children can be found here.
* (4:15) Brodeur goes on Safest Family on the Block and My 10th Level Paladin.
* (6:17) Brodeur gets invited to crash someone else’s game as a guest GM.
* (10:02) The whole situation is awkward, starting with the style of game.
* (16:59) The gut-punch of unintentionally outshining the person that invited you.
* (18:51) Or, maybe outshining the other person isn’t such a bad thing.
* (25:42) Expect the players to keep doing whatever you allow to work.
* (33:10) The right kind of consultant.
Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Julia, Tex
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* (0:29) A shoutout and thanks to WashingCon!
* (1:09) Fear the Con is coming up in mid-June.
* (2:25) Wayne annihilates his player-characters in a Legion of Liberty game, and they love it. Our episode on action economy.
* (10:22) The perspective that comes from getting your butt kicked.
* (13:52) The difference between the party getting defeated, the party getting cheated, and the party getting destroyed.
* (19:44) Rewinding as opposed to setting up round two.
* (27:35) Consequences don’t have to be applied directly to the player-characters.
* (33:35) Allowing players to choose the form of their defeat.
* (36:44) Brodeur terrorizes his staff.
Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Julia, Wayne
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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* (0:29) June 16th, 17th, and 18th for Fear the Con! You can see Mikey Mason’s material on BandCamp.
* (2:40) Reviewing the idea of horizontal and vertical creativity.
* (4:56) Horizontal creativity doesn’t mean the player has to get lazy. In fact, it may mean the GM is getting lazy.
* (12:35) How horizontal creativity can add complexity to the story.
* (16:22) Understanding why a GM is limiting something.
* (20:56) Players taking ownership for how far off the ranch they’ve gone.
* (31:59) Learning more about the game through player experimentation.
* (36:27) It’s OK to just let players have their fun.
Hosts: Brodeur, Caleb, Dan, Wayne
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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* (0:29) – Bordeur, Dan, and Julia will be at Washingcon this weekend: March 26th and 27th, 2022.
* (2:23) – Defining how we’ll be using “vertical” and “horizontal” creativity over the next two shows.
* (5:45) – The laziness that often accompanies horizontal thinking.
* (8:08) – Creativity within seemingly narrow (i.e. “vertical”) ideas.
* (11:10) – Playing within the GM’s parameters and rules.
* (19:16) – What is it about the player that refuses to conform?
* (28:27) – How horizontal creativity forces the GM to tell a story they may not have wanted to tell.
* (31:08) – Why is it so hard to compromise a bit?
Hosts: Brodeur, Caleb, Dan, Wayne
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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* (0:44) Get signed up for Fear the Con!
* (1:02) Brodeur is now on TikTok for some reason. Here’s the link. Do what you will.
* (5:45) Welcoming Jason back to the show.
* (6:31) There I Was…When Nothing Happened. The Kickstarter can be found here.
* (11:26) Why “winning the fight” may not be a winning strategy.
* (17:24) Seeing another way out.
* (22:16) The five stages of avoiding violence.
* (31:33) The relationship between anger and fear. Understanding your own psychology.
* (38:55) Designing encounters with a clear understanding of your NPC’s motivations.
Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Jason, Julia
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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* (0:28) The teeth on the dog go click, click, click.
* (1:30) Brodeur discovers New Game+ mode in video games.
* (10:23) Weather and environmental effects in an RPG.
* (13:09) Weather as a reflection of some other truth in the setting.
* (14:53) Setting the mood and adding immersion.
* (19:21) Does the environment not come up more often because it’s not in the rules?
* (25:02) The storytelling side effects of being inside when we game.
* (26:53) Using the environment to control the flow of the game.
* (35:05) Integrating environment into your rules and narrative.
* (39:09) Don’t forget to sign up for Fear the Con!
Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Wayne
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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* (0:18) Time to set the mood for bedtime.
* (5:06) Wayne, Boxman, and the latex room.
* (14:32) Watching sports for all the wrong reasons. Brodeur joins TikTok. God forgive us all.
* (16:57) Wayne pulls a plane, and Brodeur brings the pain.
* (26:22) Kids versus bikes. Bikes win.
* (28:54) Kids versus cars. Cars win.
* (32:39) On blowing up toilets and toys.
* (38:07) Waynezilla. Meanwhile, Phoenix gets really crazy and burns…a candle.
* (44:23) Oh, the places you’ll go.
Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Phoenix, Wayne
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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* (0:28) The site for Fear the Con is now live!
* (2:07) Monday Morning Quarterbacking your own games (the definition for anyone that doesn’t know that phrase).
* (3:36) Getting past being your own worst critic.
* (8:17) Speech disfluency and filler words.
* (12:57) Using game recordings to prepare for the next session.
* (17:01) Approaching your recording with the right mindset, goals, and expectations.
* (25:20) Using game audio to exonerate yourself in your own mind.
* (29:53) The freedom to no longer take notes during the game.
Hosts: Brodeur, Dan, Wayne
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts |
* (0:29) A fond farewell to Chad.
* (4:50) Keeping the perspective that we all started somewhere.
* (7:34) The amount of good advice every human being ignores; sometimes experience is the only effective teacher.
* (12:49) The less you’re willing to step up, the more you ought to be patient.
* (16:24) Don’t confuse personal style with absolute right and wrong.
* (21:40) Determining whether you should stick around or just find another use for your time.
* (24:04) When you’re the only one loving or hating the game.
Hosts: Brodeur, Chad, Dan, Wayne
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts |
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