Hosts: Sean Nittner and Eric Fattig

Length: 21:50

Show Notes

[00:00] My silly wanna-be cop intro.
[00:28] Intro to the show. What to do at the table when someone freezes up at the table.
[01:21] Our backlog of Rob topics from his blog: http://rdonoghue.blogspot.com/
[02:23] What to do at the table when someone freezes up?
[02:59] Reasons people freeze up: Asked to make an important decision (analysis paralysis) or if a player is put on the spotlight to role-play when they aren’t ready for it.
[04:00] A natural reaction to seeing someone freeze: Try to help, try to get the game started back up again.
[05:46] Rule #1: Shut your pie hole
[07:10] Rule #2: A little patience won’t kill you.
[07:44] Take the time when someone freezes to reflect on what’s going on in the game.  See action and reflection in the episode about Ira Glass: http://www.narrativecontrol.com/index.php?post_id=509405
[08:22] Rule #3: Back their play. The Winner!
[08:46] And here we tease you.
[09:19] Back anyone’s play at any time.  It validates the other players.
[10:52] Why Sean hates every planning session in the universe.
[11:45] Why you would shut someone down… you’ve got a better idea… but it’s not.
[13:16] An example of Actual Play where this shutdown happens: The Walking Eye  3:16 Actual Play – Session 1 http://www.thewalkingeye.com/?p=322  (Start a 2:13)
[15:37] Your character is not the sum of what they’ve done before.  Find a way to make your character grow and interact with the new element.
[16:15] Backing their play is especially important when someone has frozen up, as their confidence is going to be low and they need support.
[17:00] What to do if the idea doesn’t fit in the game?
[17:25] Rule #4: Don’t Assume. Ask.  The 4th Commandment!
[18:37] Lots of reasons they might have frozen.  System, setting, situation…
[18:47] An old episode of Sons of Kryos where Storm wasn’t on the same page as the others. http://sonsofkryos.livejournal.com/21712.html
[20:51] You know when someone freezes. The trick is to watch your reactions.

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Hosts: Sean Nittner and Eric Fattig

Length: 25:08

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Hosts: Sean Nittner and Eric Fattig

Length: 27:52

Show Notes 

[00:26] Intro to the show. A response to my own LJ post about railroading and the frustration it causes both players and the GM: http://seannittner.livejournal.com/92349.html
[01:48] Best game EVAR! Let me tell you what you do Fattig. 
[03:01] This story sucks. Blame Nittner for it.
[03:55] Sometimes games get so heavily scripted that the players lose their voice in the game.
[04:32] Tour de Thea 7th Sea module example.
[05:34] The players perspective: surprising and frustrating. 
[06:34] Benefits of a strong story structure for players: Clear direction. Support from the GM if they follow that direction.
[07:30] What does the GM get? Best case scenario: Telling an awesome story. Worst case: A giant headache and enormous amount of work.
[09:27] Why does this happen? Perception. The GM feels the need to keep things moving and give everyone direction.
[11:50] A fair concern, what will happen when the GM says “You’re in an inn… what do you do?”
[13:05] Another factor: Pride. I’m going to tell the BEST STORY EVER!
[14:11] The Narrative Control drinking game.
[15:30] The new paradigm. Everyone contributing to the game in amounts that make them happy.
[16:38] Some player empowering techniques: Setting stakes, framing scenes and narrative control.
[20:18] Addressing the issue directly.  Talking about the game before it ever starts.  Describe setting and situation. 
[21:41] Establishes an environment to create characters and stories out of.
[23:00] Adding an arbitrary pacing mechanic that ensures the story is moving forward independent of the players or the GM’s actions.
[24:14] Some examples: My Matrix Game, Burning Empires.

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[00:26] Intro to the Show and to Eric Fattig
[00:44] Open Design Podcast Promo
[01:18] Welcome 2010 and some bad audio (it gets better soon)
[01:35] I love introducing my co-hosts wrong.  Eric Fattig takes the stage.
[02:10] “Take Your Turn Already” – From Things We Think About Games  by Will Hindmarch  and Jeff Tidball.  Also, the audio improves here.
[02:51] Reading time with Sean
[03:24] Classic board game example: Placing settlements in Settlers of Catan
[04:57] How this applies to role-playing games.  Mechanical stumbling blocks in crunchy games.
[05:22] This still happens in rules-light games as players hesitate over choices about what to do regarding their character and the plot.
[05:37] Sean’s loathes planning sessions.   John Wick’s “Dirty Dungeon” from Wilderness of Mirrors.
[06:22] Our L5R game runs in a round robin style of play so we definitely see it when someone holds up the game because they can’t decide what to do.
[07:26] All you need to know is “Be Cool”
[08:00] Player agency.  How does it apply here?  We all want to do something cool, which can cause us to stall when we can’t think of something cool to do.
[09:06] How do board games address “bad decisions”?  Catch up mechanics, immediate penalization that corrects behavior, and victory point mechanics that rate performance after the fact.
[10:52] A fear players have that a bad decision will affect them in ways they don’t want for an extended period time.
[11:55] Many games mechanically are forgiving. You can lose a few hit points and keep smacking firbolgs in the face.
[12:54] Story elements however can be less forgiving.  There are things the GM can do to encourage people to take chances.
[13:40] Lead by example.  Create NPCs that have made mistakes and survived and become more interesting because of it.  Make flawed characters the norm.
[17:20] Take things out of game.  Let the players know that you will give them a warning if they are about to do something that could make the game un-fun.
[18:42] As an extension of this, negotiate stakes so the players know what will happen before the dice are rolled.
[19:54] The players can also help.  If they are rooting for you, you feel a lot safer in taking risks.
[21:50] It’s fun to be spontaneous.  It’s not like our characters have forever to decide what to do.
[22:47] In World of Warcraft, My #2 key is bound to Charge just for Arthas.

Length: 22:49

Hosts: Sean Nittner and Justin Evans

Links:  Virtual Play #34 (http://virtualplay.podbus.com/?p=66)

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Hosts: Sean Nittner and Justin Evans

Length: 23:04

Show Notes

[00:28] Introduction to the show.  Continuing a conversation from Josh Renschâs blog gmwithadd.com
[00:45] Woops. This was supposed to be episode 35.
[01:24] Sorry Josh, this impersonation was made before we met. 
[01:37] Amorphous Blobcast Promo
[02:26] Josh Rensch is a cool dude.  He sent me stuff.
[03:00] Heâs continuing the conversation on his blogâ and hey, so are we in Season 2.
[03:56] Joshâs conversation with Fear the Boot.
[04:18] An excerpt from his post.  Done in my best âbadassâ voice.
[05:18] A little present for BG_Meg
[06:12] My first impression of Trust â Cheating in the game.  It doesnât bother me.
[06:54] It is more nuanced that just cheating on dice rolls though.
[07:20] John Wick talks about why we shouldnât need rules to handle cheaters in games on his LJ.
[08:06] A situation where you canât control who you are gaming with: A convention game.
[08:36] Suspend expectations of the players until youâve played with them for a while.  Escalate your presence in the game as you see your players commitment to the game.
[09:32] Cheating is just one issue of trust.  What about players trusting each other to all have the groups best interest in mind.
[10:37] The type of story youâre going to tell and how you have fun playing may be very different between players.
[11:11] Justin starts faulting himself.  Iâd edit it out but itâs so rare that he admits fault, I had to make it public.  Allowing one player to take fun away from the other players.
[12:35] What did Justin do?  Players admitting that they arenât having fun.  Justinâs reaction.  Taking time out.
[14:22] Iâve seen games where conflicts roll up from the characters right to the players and people leave with hurt feelings.
[14:51] Seanâs experience feeling frustrated and tired at the end of a game.  My reactionâ this is not a therapy session.
[17:05] How do specific games handle this.  Many games talk about âin gameâ trust.
[17:20] Paranoia puts it up front that your characters are disposable, donât take it personally.
[17:34] Any time you need to collaborate more at the table, you need to trust each other more.
[17:45] Montsegur 1244 is a tragedy, which is an extra effort to play and requires more trust to tell this game.
[18:32] Accidental plug or intentional pimp?
[18:47] When I trust another player, Iâm willing to be hopeful even in a tragedy.  I know weâre watching out for each other.
[19:49] What sort of play experience we all want is something to establish early on, preferably before the game starts.
[20:07] Polaris also requires a lot of trust in the players around you.  The ritual protects you to some degree, but also allows the âmistakenâ to intentionally deplete your character by offering undesirable twists.

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Hosts: Sean Nittner and Justin Evans

Length: 26:45

Show Notes

[00:28] Intro to the show â a response to Robâs LiveJournal entry.
[00:55] Definition of the Premise in a story.
[01:18] Super Intelligent Hamsters!
[01:41] Justin reads the first paragraph of Robâs entry.
[02:55] What we imagine Rob sounds like.
[03:12] Seanâs argument with a friend about exploring the premise vs. facing conflicts.
[08:55] Exploring the premise is there to give the audience (the players in this case) a chance to learn about the characters and settings and begin to care about them.
[10:02] A unique situation in a role-playing game.  Each player is contributing to the premise, which requires it to stay flexible.
[11:54] Another reading from the book of Rob.
[12:25] Games with nothing but conflict make you wonder what the conflicts are about. 
[13:05] A recount of âThe Swordâ
[13:48] A system that leans toward constant conflicts: In a Wicked Age. (http://www.lumpley.com/wicked.html)
[15:50] An opposite end of the spectrum: Gumshoe (http://www.pelgranepress.com/gumshoe/index.html)
[19:14] Somewhere in the middle of that spectrum: Dungeons and Dragons 4E (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/welcome)
[21:59] Another method of weaving action and exploration in the extended skill challenges in Spirit of the Century (http://www.evilhat.com/home/sotc/)
[23:00] Transitioning between exploration and conflict scenes.  Seanâs example, with Scalagrim the Barbarian Prince of course.

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Hosts: Sean Nittner and Justin Evans

Length: 25:04

Show Notes

[00:27] Intro to the show and a super short GenCon review.
[01:05] Promo for White Wolf blogcast: http://eddyfate.podbean.com/
[01:33] A failed roll.  Wait. I still find Lando?
[02:47] Inspired by John Wicksâs Play Dirty Video: Players, Players Everywhere (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ww5wWoap_uQ)
[04:20] Succeeding all the time doesnât make for a good story.  Heroes arenât de-protagonized by failure.
[05:56] A paraphrase of Johnâs youtube clip âDo Stupid Stuff.â
[06:25] This is counter to our intuition.  Both of us usually want to see our characters succeed.
[07:05] Why do we feel the need to succeed.  Fear of hitting a dead end or having their characters become failures.
[08:21] Fate System.  Aspects describe both strengths and weaknesses of the characters.  Encouraging player by giving them a fate chip for being compelled to foible. (http://www.evilhat.com/home/fate/)
[10:00] Also puts the idea out there that you start the game flawed.  We agree in advance that youâre going to stumble over something of your choice.
[10:49] Mouse Guard. Explicit encouragement to fail.  Story structure -> Twists -> Advancement! (http://www.archaiasp.com/mouse_guard_rpg.php)
[12:19] Players can also put their characters at more risk using their traits.  Encouragement to stack things against yourself.
[14:38] An example of using traits against yourself.
[16:30] This is something that players have to get used it.  It appears counter-intuitive at first.
[17:00] A voice from a player âAnytime I hear the word "Fail" I cringeâ (http://seannittner.livejournal.com/72153.html)
[18:22] Does externalizing the threat remove the sting of failure?
[19:51] Justin: It feels strange to look for ways mechanically to defeat myself.  Iâd rather put more at risk for a greater reward.
[20:55] Consequences stated up front in Burning Wheel and they are negotiated between the players and GM.
[21:54] What about times when heroes just fail? Example: Harry Dresden fails all the time.
[22:52] Failure is fineâ but the story canât end.  This happened all the time in Burning Warcraft (http://seannittner.livejournal.com/tag/burning+warcraft)

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Hosts: Sean Nittner and Justin Evans

Guest Host: Paul Tevis

Length: 37:55

Show Notes

[00:25] Intro to the show, an interview with Paul Tevis at Good Omens Con.
[01:49] Excerpt from âA Penny for My Thoughtsâ from the Orphic Institute
[04:19] The rules are simple, but this piece shows âhowâ to play this game.
[05:18] Design decision: A book that could teach you the game during play.
[06:33] The three ingredients for Penny at Game Chef: Currency, Memory and Drug.
[07:43] Penny is a very procedural game, so the rules can unfold as youâre playing it.
[07:59] The trick is making it fun.  Memory triggers and presenting the rules in the fiction.
[10:09] Everyone sitting at the table is playing.  One player takes the role of the Reader, but they still play with everyone else.
[11:10] Excerpt from play.  Learning the rules.
[12:52] Structure of the game divided by ritual phrases.  Inspired by Polaris.  Helps transition into and out of the game.
[15:37] The ritual phrases bakes in the reflection scene.
[16:07] Keeping things short, specific and evocative. Based on experience with improv.
[17:37] Elements inspired by improv: âYes, andââ  âAndâ is harder than we think.
[19:15] âYes, andââ also acted as pacing mechanic to string the questions together.    And creates momentum.
[20:00] Sometimes âNoâ means âYes.â  Divining what people want.
[21:24] Specific influences for Penny: The Extraordinary Adventures of Baron Munchausen and 1001 Nights.  Creating incentive to do collaborative storytelling. 
[22:07] Core principal: Listening to what kind of stories the others want to tell and giving them what they want.
[24:07] If the character sheet is a love letter to the GM, Penny is an ongoing dialog.
[24:31] Penny engages all the players all the time.  Avoids the turn taking that leaves players out.
[25:28] Compared to In a Wicked Age.  The Facts and Reassurances document is analogous to the Oracles.  It makes sure everyone is on the same page about the content of the game AND allows that content to be swapped out for any setting.
[28:10] Playing without a net.  I made Paul an international bank robber.
[29:09] Publisher hat kicked in.  Support for new settings on the Orphic Institute. 
[30:14] Penny as a character creation session.  A rich development of the characters on an emotional level.
[31:45] Creating connections between your characters in the memories.
[33:12] Design question: How much of explaining the rules and the implications of the rules during the procedural text.
[34:11] Some competition to offer the best actions.  âA Smack Talk for my Thoughtsâ.
[36:56] Continue this conversation over at orphicinstitute.com or gameslinger-enterprises.com

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Hosts: Sean Nittner and Justin Evans

Length: 26:14

Show Notes

[00:32]  Welcome back to Narrative Control. 
[01:07] Preview of Season two.  What is the new season all about?
[02:16] Intro to this episode: Storytelling by Ira Glass (of This American Life)
[02:49] Links to all four clips of Ira: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4
[03:27] An excerpt from Iraâs clip. The building blocks of a story.
[04:19] Our discussion on the antidote.  In RPGs the antidote is a sequence of scenes.
[04:59] Made more complicated by every player acting as a storyteller and a protagonist.
[07:07] Sons of Kryos talked about âweavingâ threads together.
[09:31] Passing scenes around like a hot potato. SoK talked about this a well!
[10:20] An excerpt from Iraâs clip. Raising questions and answering them.
[10:57] Bait. Asking questions and the implication that you will answer them.   Our discussion.
[12:06] What is that bugbear doing? Why is he running? Where is he running to?
[12:50] Introducing new âbaitâ to keep the story interesting.  Mixing short and long term goals together.
[13:59] An excerpt from Iraâs clip. The moment of reflection.  Why are you listening to this story?
[14:21] Out discussion.  Not necessarily present in RPGs. 
[14:50] An opportunity for reflection to allow players to understand what is going on in the heads of the other characters.
[15:00] With Great Power has the Thought Bubble.
[15:12] Seanâs L5R Game â Sapphire Magistrates.  Exposition created through character scenes.
[17:31] Moments of reflect allow you to give a flag to other players so they can contribute to your fun.
[17:53] Some settings make it VERY hard to share the meaning of an event to a protagonist.  This can be used to create suspense if we intentionally hold out on reflection to keep the audience guessing what something means.
[18:56] Some systems that build in reflection.  In Inspectors there is the âconfessionalâ.   Confessionals can completely change the meaning of a scene you just watched.
[20:42] Montsegur 1244.  Everyone knows that the game will end with a reflection scene as the characters explain why they chose to convert or burn at the stake.
[21:15] Roanoke has a moment of reflection tied to the Doom of the island at the end of the story.
[22:39] Reflection baked into Dogs in the Vineyard.  Each conflict ends with traits changing to reflect on the conflict that just happened.
[24:07] Wrap up: The anecdote, question and reflection.

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Hosts: Sean Nittner and Justin Evans

Length: 23:09

Show Notes

Sorry, not for this.  The first five minutes is a wrap up of Season 1 and intro Season 2.  The next twenty is nothing but bloopers.

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Hosts: Sean Nittner and Justin Evans

Guest Hosts: Shaun Hayworth and Kirstin Hayworth

Warning: TMD + Con + NC = Swearing.  Lots of it.  Not safe for work (or kids)

Length: 38:49

[00:27] Intro to the show.  Weâre at Kublacon with Shaun and Kristin from This Modern Death to talk about secrets in games.
[00:41] Where did I just wake up?
[01:31] Talking about secrets and segues.
[02:07] The games weâve been in and how they handle secrets. 
[02:33] Seanâs Game â The Gift.  Lots of secrets.  We kept them secret from the players and I think it could have been improved if the players knew in advanced.  Actual Play write up here: http://wildljduck.livejournal.com/67833.html (scroll down a bit)
[05:29] How did the secrets get revealed.  Some were pushed for, others revealed to just some players,  and one I revealed in the middle of the game. Thus leading to what should have been a secret: A hall full of naked dwarves.
[06:30] Justinâs Game â Serpents in the Garden, a Fallout 3 LARP.  All of the players had secrets they could afford to trade.  Secrets turned into currency.
Comparing open (known by all players) vs. closed secrets.
[08:15] The conversation continued on This Modern Deathâ A link to the forum thread where the controversy started:  http://forum.thismoderndeath.com/comments.php?DiscussionID=202
[09:55] How secrets âcanâ be awesome if the reveal is just right.  How hard is it to make this happen?
[11:47] The excitement of everyone knowing the secret and pushing to see it revealed.
[13:08] Making a character out of a secret. Where does this go?  Telling stories to yourself.
[13:57] Seanâs disaster of a segue.  Recapping value of open vs. closed secrets.
Getting player buy in to reveal player secrets.
[15:41] Assure the players that revealing secrets wonât ruin their character.  Also getting an agreement from the other players not to step on each otherâs fun.
[17:02] How this compares between campaign play vs. one shots.  Allows the players to moderate each other.
[18:13] When everyone knows about the secrets they are better at determining when they should come up.
[18:39] What about the player who enjoys the power of having a secret?  Make it into currency.  Allow them to trade the secrets for power or other secrets.
[19:38] As the currency starts flowing, let the secrets come back around.
[20:52] Use secrets as actual currency for plot elements.  Buying from the âsecretsâ vendor.
How to make the secrets come out in game
[21:46] Give the player a benefit for revealing their secrets. 
[22:17] Use that technique in Dread mechanically by allowing them to get free pulls by revealing their secrets.
[23:19] Segue to point 4! What are some good ways to make it happen.
[24:40] Incentivizing it.  Any system that has cookies you can hand out (fate chips, drama dice, etc).
[24:45] The GM can set expectations in advance about how and when secrets will be revealed.   Using an act structure that dictates when secrets must come out.  Also works as part of the pacing mechanic.
[26:25] More love for Luke Crane.  In Burning Wheel secrets move at the speed of plot.
[28:36] Having secrets revealed in advance, talked about outside of character, will push towards them being revealed in game.
[29:07] Confessionals.  Giving space for characters to speak directly to the audience.  
[30:43] How will this work in games that it is not genre appropriate?  Featured in Inspectres, but could be used in any game as a confessional scene, an interstitial scene, a journal entry, or as a thought bubble.
[32:06] One leftâ I hate it. Character Goals to get information from another.
[33:00] Secrets are best given voluntarily, not because of a malicious action of another player.
[33:32] This can work better in a large game like a LARP where secrets are traded around.
[33:58] Character goal secrets can also be something you want to reveal instead of hide.
[33:38] Going off script here!  What if you want to share a secret but donât know how.
[37:50] Our secret goalsâ

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Hosts: Sean Nittner and Justin Evans

Length: 28:26

[00:27] Intro to the show. Talking about timelines in game and out.
[00:49] Telling stories about our characters.
[01:50] One way to tell stories in game is to use flash backs or flash forwards
[2:00] Justin pains me with a discussion of Lost
[03:10] Talking about timelines on two levels.

Flashing back and flashing forward

[03:30] We display our ignorance to games who incorporate time manipulation in their games.
[03:58] A LARP that flashed back and flashed forward throughout.  They worked from the far future and past closer to the present.
[06:15] This allows you to start on a very dramatic note.  Starting with tension in the present by using Flashbacks to explain how you got there.
[06:52] Flashbacks are very useful for fleshing out the backstory.
[07:14] Starting with a normal scene and flashing back (or forward) to a very tense one.
[08:06] Allows the group to ask a really specific question about the characters or the story.
[08:52] Potential pitfall of a flashback:  Plot immunity.   Opportunity to create relationships or beliefs.
[10:13] Flash forwards can tell us what scene we should be building towards.
[11:28] Potential pitfalls of flash forward: Players working against the story you are presenting.
[11:56] Something that you want to look to your group for buy in.

Structure of games

[13:02] Asking the question. How long to I want this game to run?  How should it end?
[13:29] An awkward Highlander reference.
[14:22] Prime Time Adventures uses a 5 or 9 episode season.  This works really well with the spotlight dynamic.
[15:24] Some games donât pace the number of game sessions but they do work strongly towards and end game.
[15:54] The Shadow of Yesterday: Transcendence â Your character is written out of the story.
[16:35] Burning Wheel: Emotional Attributes force characters to leave the world in different ways.
[17:39] Dust Devils uses  harm  to push towards âThe Endâ.
[18:29] My Life with Master constantly pushes towards the end of the game (and consequently the end of the characters).
[20:32] Creating a good end gameâ we donât want to let the fun end.
[22:27] Taking away the sting of games ending.  Talking about the game afterwards.
[24:00] Building in time to debrief games at the end.
[25:10] Most LARPS end with all the players sharing their plotlines with each other.
[25:39] End long running games with a discussion of what the group will do next.  Removes some of the fear of the âcoolâ part ending.
[27:28] Ending this podcast with an assurance that there will be more cool ones to come, and you can remove the sting by coming to the forums.

Post Feedback Here: Comments ]]> podcasts Thu, 21 May 2009 03:30:00 GMT http://www.narrativecontrol.com/index.php?post_id=481752# 00:28:26 flashback, flashforward, rpg Sean Nittner, Justin Evans Timelines Clean http://www.narrativecontrol.com/index.php?post_id=477166# Welcome back to Narrative Control.  This week Justin and I respond to a old post by Vincent Baker on suspense, what cause it and how to add it to a game.

Hosts: Sean Nittner and Justin Evans

Length: 25:08

Show Notes
[00:28] Intro to the show.  What causes suspense in stories and how to recreate that in your games.
[00:39] RPGPodcast.com promo
[00:47] Do you ever doubt Jack Bauer will stop the terrorist in 24?
[01:43] What do we learn about in the first 23 hours?
[02:10] The question isnât will he make it, but what does he have to do to get there.
[02:24] I didnât think of this.  I read it on Vincent Bakerâs blog.
[02:49] Suspense: What will the protagonist have to go through and how will they change?

Techniques we have used to create suspense

[03:33] Setting stakes that are not directly tied to the character goals.   Make the stakes involve the cost of success. Thank you Mario Brothers and Jim Butcher.
[05:18] Negotiating the stakes between GM and the players.
[05:56] Using dice cups to prolong the suspense.  Yup, we stole this from Sons of Kryos.
[06:51] Use several conflicts that create twists in the plot, still moving towards the final outcome.
[07:28] Scarcity of player resources (fate chips, action points, etc).  Players investing their resources for success.
[08:24] Using physical tokens to represent resources.  Players can see how theyâve got let.

Specific systems that have suspense building elements

[08:59] Gumshoe removes the rolling from investigation, but allows players to invest in their findings.
[09:58] Buying success in Wilderness of Mirrors.  Betraying your fellow spies.
[11:27] Resource points also act a pacing mechanic by establishing the number of obstacles youâll face.
[11:58] Another post of Vincent Bakers: Chalk Outlines, which uses concessions to create twists.
[15:23] SchauermÃrchen. A different take on pass the stick models. 
[19:00] Polaris. Players creating twists for each other using a very ritualized format.
[20:34] Changes in the fiction are more meaningful than reducing player resources.  Discussion of hit points in Dungeons and Dragons vs. Sanity Loss in Call of Cthulhu.
[21:39] A variation of the core Spirit of the Century rules for consequences  instead of stress.
[22:25] Mouseguard has both conditions (which are meaningful in the fiction) or twists (which complicates the story)
[23:30] Shadow of Yesterday has the option of bringing down the pain to raise the stakes of a conflict.

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Hosts: Sean Nittner and Justin Evans

Length [28:25]

[00:26] Intro to the show. Talking about icebreakers, getting people comfortable playing together.
[00:54] RPGPodcats.com Promo
[01:05] Did you go to band camp?
[02:01] Why do we care about camp? Oh yeah, because we can rip off ideas from them.
[02:55] Links to camp games: http://www.ultimatecampresource.com/site/camp-activities/common-ground-icebreakers.page-1.html, http://www.humanpingpongball.com/
[03:39] Games at Gamestorm â camp style
[04:39] Scalagrim the Barbarian Prince.  Our Icebreaker routine.
[05:22] Part 1 - The Tale of Woe. Practicing âYes, andââ  (a little over two minutes)
[08:17] Part 2 â The Epic Journey.  Practicing reading other players flags and sharing the spotlight. (just over a minute)
[10:41] Part 3 â The Oracleâs Answer. Practicing not interrupting each other and being flexible. (about a minute and a half)

(Total time for both explanation and performing the exercises, about seven minutes)

[12:57] Recap of what we got out of these icebreakers.

Games that have Icebreaker exercises built into them

[14:56] Prime Time Adventures pitch session.  Gets everyone on the same page about what kind of game everyone wants to play.
[15:43] Character creation in Spirit of the Century.  Building on each otherâs pulp novel.
[16:42] Dogs in the Vineyard accomplishment.  Playing out one question you ask about your character.
[17:17] Mouse Guard Prologue.  A reward for recapping the previous game.   An icebreaker that also reminds everyone that happened last time and shows what parts they were excited about.
[18:35] World of Darkness Preludes.  Often a longer event, but weâve done it as a single session where everyone ran their preludes simultaneously.

Games that you could play with people who havenât role-played before

[20:47] Once Upon a Time.  A card game with fantasy tropes.  Mixes card game elements (like Uno) and storytelling.
[21:49] Are you a Werewolf.  A very scripted game that gets everyone talking, trying to discover the Werewolves.  Very much like reality TV elimination.

Role Playing Games that act as Icebreakers themselves.

[24:12] Breaking the Ice.  A game about two people meeting each other, but structured for two people (or more) learning to play a role-playing game.
[25:43] Sons of Liberty.  A game that encourages fast play and, like Once Upon a Time has a very visible mechanic that aids you in narration.
[26:33] Discussion of common elements in these ice breaker games.  Cards, cues, directions.  Letâs throw Zombie Cinema in the mix as well.

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Hosts: Sean Nittner and Justin Evans

Length: 25:35

[00:28] Introduction to the show.  Talking about story structure. Hippies vs. Engineers.
[00:57] Survey: http://www.spookyouthouse.com/survey
[01:19] Have Games Will Travel: For a Few Games More: #34.  Story structures.
[01:56] Dirty Hippies and Stinking Engineers
[02:11] Story Structure: A pattern that we fall into or actively follow when telling stories.
[02:47] Hippies: The original gamers playing moment to moment and allowing story to follow from their actions.   Allowing for more surprises, creativity, and immersion.
[05:07] Engineers:  A gamer who wants to structure their game and drive towards specific goals in each game.
[07:02] Games with known ends: Grey Ranks, Roanake, Polaris.  These games are one step closer to being engineered.
[07:36] Montsegur 1244 is very structured.  A story told in four acts.
[09:50] Distinction between Hippie Indie Gamers and Story structures Hippies
[10:29] Dungeons and Dragons:  A total hippie game.
[12:07] Patterns that we can draw on: Plays, TV shows, playing published adventures.
[15:15] Another engineered game: Dirty Secrets.  We all know when it will end but now how it will end.
[18:00] Zombie Cinema : Also engineered, also without a GM, also uses a board.  Hmmmâ are we noticing a trend.
[19:49] Did the mechanics restrict the game?  Yes, in a good way.
[22:00] A negative experience engineering a game.  Some players really groove the hippie experience.

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Hosts: Sean Nittner

Guest Hosts: Michael Parker and Paul Strack

Length: 27:04

Show Notes:

[00:30] Intro to the show.  A sit down with Paul Strack and Mike Parker to talk about how 4E got monsters right.
[00:49] A RPG Podcast Survey:  http://www.spookyouthouse.com/survey
[01:14] Intro to the guysâ some portion of Good Omens (http://www.goodomensgames.com)
[01:35] Planning the next Good Omens Convention â July 18th.  http://www.goodomensgames.com/index.php/con/
[02:13] 4th Edition does Minions really well.  Seen in other games: Feng Shui, 7th Sea but usually they never pose a threat.
[03:15] Not the way mooks are depicted in fiction, which is to heighten the tension of the story.
[03:50] Mikeâs use of Minions to shake up a fight and change expectations.
[04:30] The difference is that in other games, everything about a minion is scaled down so not only are they easy to take out, but they also donât pose a threat.   4th Edition breaks that, lowering their damage and hit points but keeping their defenses and attacks on par with the players.
[05:33] Usually they have some powers up their sleeve as well.
[06:00] Minions can really help the âbig badâ giving him advantagesâ correction though that the 4th edition folks will catch, grab immobilizes and doesnât grant combat advantage, but you get the point.
[06:41] Comparing to more recent incarnations of minions.  A Spirit of the Century minion. 
[08:02] Mikeâs adaptation of Minion in his Hunter game.
[08:48] Can this scale up with supernatural powers?  How do minions fit into the horror genre?
[10:17] How to put it in other games?  One hit kills but they have teeth.
[10:39] What about groups of minions? Can they be treated as a unit and still be a threat.
[11:44] Making minions complimentary to the Big Badâs plans.
[12:27] Prevents the âeveryone clobber one guyâ phenomenon.
[13:35] The Solo monster.  The idea that you would treat a single big boss differently
[14:26] In most games the big bad is scaled up in all aspects making him more dangerous but also more frustrating to fight.
[15:47] What makes solo bosses work in Dungeons and Dragons and how to we port that into another game?
[16:10] They formalize how they break the rules.  If you are big you get extra tricks.
[16:54] How about in a very narrative game? Take PTA for example.   Give the big bad a bigger buffer that you would usually have.
[18:10] The Spirit of the Century chase mechanics.  A very back and forth system that rolls several conflicts into one.
[18:55] Giving the main villain some form of plot immunity.
[19:42] What about a stake setting game? Should we negotiate stakes to protect antagonists?
[21:49] Polaris and the formalized player negotiation, how to scale the escalation of consequences.
[22:40] We get the same things for Solo bosses as we do for minions.  Scale them up on in certain places.
[23:30] Monsters are treated statistically different.   In other games we see this break down as powerful villains become incredibly complex to create and to play.
[25:00] Save a lot of time for both the GM and the players
[25:46] The rule of three.   The bag guy needs 3-4 abilities because that is all the time heâs going to live.
[26:00] This is a very gamist attitude.  If you can give up on simulation it will be rewarding.

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Hosts: Sean Nittner, Justin Evans
Guests Hosts: Shaun Hayworth, Kristin Sullivan

Length: 9:29

Hosts: Sean Nittner, Justin Evans
Guests Hosts: Shaun Hayworth, Kristin Sullivan

Length: 22:35

Show Notes

[00:29] Introduction to the show: Gaming while broke with guests Shaun Hayworth and Kristin Sullivan from This Modern Death.
[00:57] Editing issues.  Trying to keep these shows in the 20 to 25 minute range. 
[01:19] A short episode (number 26) will follow this one about PDF vs. print media. 
[01:47] This Modern Death Promo
[02:22] Kristin introduces the show for us. Our normal introductionâ only longerâ and with sniping.
[03:40] Money spent on microphones (and maybe kids) prevent us from having a lot of money to buy gaming books
[04:10] Some game systems are expensive to get into: White Wolf, Shadowrun, Dark Heresy.
[04:37] Even some indie games are expensive.  Burning Empires is beautiful but it can set you back.
[05:51] John Wick talks about how games really havenât gotten that much more expensive: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clmdJy0GJms&feature=channel_page

Starting at the bottom: What free games are out there

[06:36] Dan Baynâs âWushuâ.  Core game and Matrix supplement: http://www.bayn.org/wushu/freebies.html  Free settings on Saberpunk.net: http://wiki.saberpunk.net/Wushu/WorldsAmpSettings  Wuxalted, an Exalted Wushu adaptation: http://www.voidstate.com/rpg/Wushu-Exalted_Rules_1.5.pdf  Wuxalted Redux Wiki: http://wiki.rpg.net/index.php/Wuxalted_Redux
[06:57] Rob Bohlâs âMisspent Youthâ: http://misspentyouthgame.com/
[07:02] Spirit of the Century SRD: http://www.faterpg.com/dl/sotc-srd.html  Shadow over Yesterday:  The 2.5 Version: http://zork.net/~nick/loyhargil/tsoy2/book1--rulebook.html  The 3.0 Wiki Version: http://tsoy.crngames.com/
[07:35] Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 SRD is still available: http://www.d20srd.org/
[07:58] Ben Lehmans âXXXXtreme STREET lugeâ: http://swingpad.com/dustyboots/wordpress/?p=235
[08:08] Four Color System (the old Marvel RPG mecahincs): http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=50837&it=1
[08:20] Development on the Forge: http://www.indie-rpgs.com/
[08:33] 24 Hour RPG submissions: http://www.24hourrpg.com/ (Click on âEntriesâ).   Game Chef: http://game-chef.com/index.shtml
[08:49] Jared Sorensonâs challenge to create and market a game in 30 days on the Story-Games forum: http://www.story-games.com/
[10:07] Getting in during the development process.  Play-test games.

What about spending a couple bucks

[10:22] Houses of the Blooded.  FIVE BUCKS for the PDF: http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/product.php?productid=16617&cat=0&page=1
[10:48] Going to local conventions at game storesâ like Good Omens Con: http://www.goodomensgames.com/index.php/con/
[11:17] Many game stores do demos of games.
[11:25] International Dungeons and Dragons day: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/20050726x

Sources for old games

[12:02] Buying from convention flea markets, Ebay, local used book stores.
[12:54] Old games work looking at again: Castle Falkenstein and James Bond
[13:26] Good deals on Fred Hickâs blog.  Check it out here: http://drivingblind.livejournal.com/   Some other designer blogs not mentioned in the podcast:
John Wick: http://wickedthought.livejournal.com/
Vincent Baker: http://www.lumpley.com/
Paul Tevis: http://gameslinger-enterprises.com/
Jason Morningstar: http://gameslinger-enterprises.com/
Ben Lehman: http://benlehman.livejournal.com/
[14:08] Shaunâs pearl of wisdom: Pay attention to the internet.
[14:45] The Ashcan front: http://www.ashcanfront.net/
[15:20] Game chef anthologies:
[15:43] Another $5 John Wick Game: Wilderness of Mirrors: http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/product.php?productid=16756
[16:23] Very cheapâ sometimes free PDFs on http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/ and http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/
[17:13] Repurpose existing games into something else.
[17:30] Lots of reasonable indie supplements.  Roanoke for $10: http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=20794&it=1
[17:43] Listen to podcast about games: http://www.rpgpodcasts.com
[18:22] Borrow from your friends.  Pass books around your circle of gamers.  Should we take good care of our books? 
[19:57] Shaunâs method of getting over the new-book feel.
[20:50] Pimping all of our forums and such.  Kristinâs Brain Place: http://babe.thismoderndeath.com

Links

Not mentioned in the show, but very useful is John H. Kimâs list of free games on darkshire.net: http://www.darkshire.net/jhkim/rpg/freerpgs/

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Hosts: Sean Nittner and Justin Evans

Length: 45:17

Show Notes

[00:25] Introduction the show: An experiment asking Justin 10 questions.
[02:17] Sorry about the sound quality.  Our new microphones picked up a lot more background noise.
[02:54] This Modern Death Promo
[03:49] What about role-playing games do you like?
[04:23] How does playing RPGs make you feel?
[08:16] What other activities make you feel the same way?
[09:33] What do you look like/sound like when youâre enjoying a game?
[11:47] What is a buzz kill for you, what makes the game not fun?
[15:47] What limits do you have when gaming? What donât you want in a game?
[24:50] What do you want to happen at the end of a game session?
Hmmmâ. Not quite 10 there. Yeah, I missed some.  Weâll get another one at the end.
[25:54] Questions are finished. Sean takes a minute to thinkâ For the benefit of all, that minute has been edited out.
[26:00] Seanâs idea for a game.  1920 Gritty Crime Story.
[29:00] Justinâs revisions.
[33:05] Recap of the questions.
[33:38] Missing Question: What non-gaming activities do you like to do?
[33:36] Continuation of recap.  Creating a proposal, followed by revisions.
[37:31] Justinâs follow up question: Where there any answers that surprised Sean?
[38:59] Continued speculation. Weâre going to start guessing now.
[41:31] Seanâs thought: these would be good questions to ask before starting a game.
 
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Hosts: Sean Nittner and Justin Evans

Length: 29:49

Show Notes
[00:28] Introduction to the show â Inspiration from video games
[00:40] Some great discussion on our boards about conflict resolution here and here.
[01:05] Format of the show, inspiration, pitfalls and some personal stories.
[01:29] RPGPodcasts.com Promo
[01:37] Justinâs thrilling adventure.
[02:52] Seanâs protest. Video games donât have the story or role-playing that tabletop RPGs do.
[04:00] Seanâs use of images, lore, etc from World of Warcraft in his Burning Warcraft game.
[05:00] Erik Woodburyâs LARP: Peace at Arathi Basin.  Video game setting, using the strengths of a LARP.
[06:15] Comparing the guessed budget of Feng Shui and Grand Theft Auto. 
[07:34] Level design as an analog for quests.
[08:17] Set pieces in games, the main encounters.
[08:56] The boss fight.  A spotlighted encounter that required fighting with different tactics.
[10:11] How this can backfire.  Make sure the characterâs matter.
[12:53] Save points. Logical places to stop a session. Ending the story on a high point.
[14:30] Mouseguard session structures encapsulates the mission goals and makes sure they are resolved by the end of the session.
[15:15] A warning: avoid the grind.  Examples of the grind in video games and then in popular role-playing game.
[18:30] Justinâs fresh can of hate.  The Keep on Shadowfell.
[20:21] Some advice from Dungeons and Dragons insider: Every encounter should be meaningful to the story and have stakes the characters care about.
[22:04] A question of scaling.  Does the opposition scale with you?
[22:57] Different systems scale in different ways.  In some systems this isnât an issue. Examples of Burning Wheel, Dungeons and Dragons and Scion.
[25:19] Justinâs story playing Oblivion.  A Minotaur in the inn?
[26:40] Fallout 3, how scaling has changed in video games.
[27:28] Seanâs analog in a D&D game where his character DID become more powerful than the status quo.  âOh crap, itâs Sadric!â
 

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Hosts: Sean Nittner and Justin Evans

Length: 29:39

Show Notes

[00:27] Introduction to the show: Coaching players.
[01:17] RPGPodcasts.com promo
[01:33] Trying to tell a story without contextâ itâs hard.
[02:17] The old saying âItâs easier to tell as story with limitsâ â Is this really an old saying?
[03:15] Coaching players: Helping them tell good stories.
[03:25] A reading from Play Unsafe by Graham Walmsley. Sometimes at conventions players just want the GM to lead them through an adventure.
[04:47] Why players might be afraid of doing something âwrong?â
Establishing the theme of the game
[05:32] When kicking off a game, make sure everyone is telling the same story.
[05:55] In the beginning of a game establishing the theme of the game.  Make sure your players a buying in from the start.
[06:39] Example: The spy genre is very diverse.  Pussy Galore and Jason Bourne donât belong in the same story.
[07:05] Fear the Boot âGroup Templateâ - Players defining why their group is together and what they will be doing.
[09:05] Randyâs idea: A reality TV show of drivers on the Doc Wagon.
Establishing the goal or objective of the game.
[09:45] Up front: What is the goal of the game?  Make sure that the characters have appropriate long term goals
[11:03] Giving players short term goals they can achieve right away.  Example: Burning Wheelâs beliefs system.
[12:27] Shadows of Yesterday uses experience keys to make explicit short term goals.
[12:49] Kristin from This Modern Death suggested getting rid of the WoD Virtues and Vices and replacing them with activities youâre proud of and those which you use for coping.
[14:22] Plot Cards.  Easy short term goals that you can give out randomly to the players.  This encourages certain scenes to come up.
[16:27] Incentivizing player generated scenes with in game rewards (fate chips, drama dice, etc)
[16:45] Justinâs Firefly themed plot cards at www.sinistergame.com
Getting players to shine the spotlight on each other.
[17:28] Players were more forceful personalities hoarding the spotlight?
[18:03] What if the job of a player was to shine the spotlight on other people?  The idea came from Sonâs of Kryos. You have to endure one of Seanâs stories.  Ways to encourage this.
[19:42] Burning Wheel: The helping mechanic tends to benefit you more than using the skill on your own.
[20:40] Sharing a common pool of XP and limiting how much each character can generate, so everyone has to participate to gain the group itâs greatest reward.
[21:45] Fan Mail from Prime Time Adventures. Fan mail allows you to enter a scene with a supporting role.
Rewards for good role-playing, make both hosts uncomfortable.
[22:42] Many games include an XP reward for good role-playing.  Assigning a reward to the MVP and Workhorse.
[24:40] Encourages people to continue hogging the attention and can disappoint other players.
[25:09] We also see this at con games.  Swag going to the âwinnerâ of the game. A good idea from Rich Taylor. Giving the reward to the player that made the game the most fun for everyone else.
Games that rotate narrations, encouraging people to take the stage.
[26:45] Prime Time Adventures (I knowâ again) gives out a random narration element, allowing different people to narrate every scene.  Not mentioned in the podcast but another game that does this is Dust Devils.
[27:30] A similar mechanic in Zombie Cinema.  Choose a side in any conflict and decide if you want to ally, giving you a chance to narrate. 

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Alsoâ weâve got the explicit tag on this one for a reason.  Youâve been warned.

Hosts: Sean Nittner, Justin Evans, and Josh Curtis.

Length: 1:14:23

Show Notes

[00:27] Intro to the show.  Game module and convention review.
[01:13] What is an Elite Game master? I guess not Sean.
[02:08] What are we doing? A review of The Pleasure Prison of the B'thuvian Demon Whore.  Actual play!
[20:00] What are we doing here? Celebrating our 21st episode.
[21:18] Introducing Josh Curtis
[22:48] Hungered for some good gaming and found it at DundraCon!
[23:39] Review: âThe Giftâ â Seanâs Burning Wheel game.
[30:00] Review: The Pajama LARP
[31:52] Review: Deathwish, a variant of Dust Devils
[33:28] Review: âFirefly: Lap of Luxuryâ â Justinâs Firefly game, using FATE mechanics.
[34:53] Drunk morons singing.
[35:28] Episodic Con games. Win or Fail?
[37:38] Joshâs comparison useful backstory vs. GMs giving too much irrelevant information.
[42:30] Review: âThe Hand Youâre Dealtâ â Rich Taylorâs Werewolf: The Apocalypse game.
[44:19] âOh Shit, there I was!â
[45:26] What else was good at the con? Not the food.
[46:39] Review: Zar and Superhero LARPâ actually mostly just bullshit.
[48:12] Review: Zombie Cinema
[54:32] Review âRibbonsâ Justinâs Horror game, using FATE mechanics!  Eat that TMD.
[01:07:something something] End of the showâ weâre really tired. Not sure if this part is worth listening too but by this point in the editing, I got too tired to cut.

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Hosts: Sean Nittner and Justin Evans

Length: 20:40

Show Notes:

[00:29] Introduction: Using principals from board games in your RPGs.
[00:57] RPGPodcasts.com Promo
[01:03] Hey Sean, do you like Math?
[01:32] Character sheets are full numbersâ one big story problem?
[02:33] Board games have a very focused play.  We all know what the game is about.
[03:33] Using physical representations of math (poker chips, tokens, glass beads, etc)
[05:22] This helps a GM gauge the status of the player characters.
[07:07] Using a âboardâ i.e. a battle map and miniatures
[08:35] A counter system to measure the external threat (e.g. doom counters).
[09:27] Mapping out extended skill challenges
[11:41] Game Masteryâs âItem Cardsâ
[12:32] Physical Representation of a Mechanic.  Mini games inside the game.
[13:29] Using timers to create tension and enforce urgency
[13:50] Dreadâs mechanic.  The Jenga Tower
[14:19] An example of bringing this all together.  Zombie Attack!
[17:34] Preventing player analysis paralysis.
[19:10] Closing. Let us know how board game elements have improved or detracted from your games.

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Hosts: Sean Nittner and Justin Evans

Length: 32:06

Show Notes
[00:27] Intro to the show â Preparing for Convention Games
[00:46] This Modern Death Promo
[01:35] Conventions coming up that we are excited about: DundraCon, Kubla Con and â. GEN CON!
[02:04] To run a good game we have to prepare, or do we?
[02:47] What experience you want to give your players at a convention.
[03:03] Teaching new players the game.  Important?
[03:31] Start with a central threat or plot that will engage all of the players (and their characters)
[04:00] Story shaped by system or system picked to fit a story?
[05:09] Generating characters that will have a common interest.
[06:18] Opening scenes used to introduce the story, the mechanics and excite the players.  Idea from Prime Time Adventures that shows start when something major has just changed.
[07:23] James Bond movies make a great format for con games.  Start with an opening vignette that shows the protagonists full of awesome and lead into the main story.
[08:08] Gnome Spy Games:  Gnome Impossible!, Dr. Gnome and Gnomes Like Us.
[08:45] Many conventions games spoof popular media. Win or Fail?
[09:55] Win! Gathers interest, sets expectations and creates familiarity.
[10:27] Fail. Players might not take the game seriously.
[11:37] Props!  Justin and I both love them.
[11:53] Definitions: Props are anything you physically provide for the players, including dice, character sheets, nourishment, your appearance, etc.
[13:05] Character sheets.  Make them evoke the feel of the game as well as provide easy access to relevant game statistics.
[14:50] Props can eat up a lot of time, hopefully not a lot of money.
[15:38] Examples of cheap props.  Tape cassette character sheets.
[16:58] Call of Cthulu published adventures came with props included.
[17:45] My experience with âOne Ringâ regarding props.
[18:20] Backfired for Justin, players hording props.
[18:46] Props that canât be hidden! Daggers, Amulets, etc.
[19:59] Some other cheap and easy props.   Templates in Microsoft Word (faxes, form letters, resumes, etc)
[20:16] Paper props for Fantasy Games.  Making them yourself?
[21:14] Some resources: Gamer the Podcasting and Ronin Arts.
[22:18] Wear your props! Another cheap creation I used for My Life with Joker.
[23:39] Build to your strengths. Make props that are fun for you to create.
[24:00] High Tech: Justinâs pseudo-CDC website for the characters.
[24:40] Is any of this preparation necessary?
[24:58] Some pickup games are really designed to be played on the fly.  Example of Spirit of the Century.
[26:06] Pickup plots guarantee that they are character driven.
[26:27] Different genreâs.  What about pickup horror?
[27:57] In pickup games, it is important to have the players invest in the creation.  Creating characters and feeding ideas to the GM is part of the fun!
[29:16] Setting expectations before the game starts, helps people play to the strengths of that genre.
[30:04] Dogs in the Vineyard.  A game that works well as a pickup, specifically because of the early introduction to the system and setting.

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Hosts: Sean Nittner and Justin Evans

Length: 33:41

Show Notes

None this time.  Not that I couldn’t do show notes for this episode, but we don’t hit bullet points like we normally do.  The first half is about what we loved in 2008 and the second half is what we’re looking forward to in 2009.  Enjoy.

Hosts: Sean Nittner, Justin Evans

Length: 18:01

Show Notes

[00:28] Intro to the show. Bringing indie games to your kitchen table.
[01:03] Give credit where itâs due.  Thanks to you Mikael.
[01:36] Battle of Wits cards. Sinstergame.com domain name down.  Backup URL: http://02af916.netsolhost.com/sinistergame/
[02:07] Narrative Control Holiday Schedule.
[02:45] RPG Podcast Promo
[02:55] Seanâs problem.  Cream is available.
[03:16] Seanâs other problem. I want to play indie games.
[04:56] Iâm missing cookies.  That must be the problem.
[05:22] Perception of indie games. Lack of familiarity. This is something new. I donât know what that is.
[05:52] More responsibility being placed in the hands of the players.
[07:09] Traditional games donât have a mechanic for handing over narrative control.
[08:20] Idea that Indie games are one-shot games.  This could discourage players who want to see long term games and character progression.
[10:24] How Iâve been able to convince my group to try a game.
[10:28] Lead by example.  Want to play a game? Run it!
[10:58] Focus on just the first session of a game.  Character creation or a pitch session.
[12:28] Focus on the setting or genre of the game rather than the system. 
[13:34] Justinâs synopsis of my methods: be sneaky, sugar coat it. Thanks Justin.
[13:48] Try to tailor games to the playerâs interest.
[14:18] Are there any gateway games? Have I been gushing about Fate enough already?
[15:15] Start with a gateway system or hack in indie elements into traditional games?
[17:06] Request for feedback.  Let me know if youâve had the same frustrations or if you have some other solutions.

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Hosts: Sean Nittner and Kevan Forbes

Length: 20:19

Liner Notes

[00:28] Show Introduction: Returning to the Dresden Files RPG.
[00:45] Introduction to Kevan Forbes a Good Omens GM in Sacramento.
[01:19] This episode is a reflection of our play, specifically compelling aspects.
[02:13] Thanks to everyone who has given us feedback over email or on the forum. You guys rock!
[02:50] This Modern Death Bumper
[03:28] Greetings from Sean and Kevan
[03:54] The Compel Mechanic!
[04:07] Explanation of aspects from Fate and how compels work with them.
[04:54] Fate chips are much more precious in Dresden RPG.
[05:24] Comparison to compelling in Spirit of the Century.
[05:45] Example of a tough compel and the price to pay it off.
[06:38] How to use a compel #1: Plot Hooks
[07:49] How to use a compel #2: Binding the characters to the story.
[08:13] Example of a compel: The Vodou priest wakes up with blood on his hands.
[08:55] How to use a compel #3: The toolbox for adventure creation.
[09:40] How to use a compel #4: An alternative to the standard conflict resolution.
[11:40] Comparing compels to other games that give out cookies for game play (7th Sea, Buffy, Exalted, etc).
[12:43] I miss the reward system from other games when the players are performing exceptionally.
[13:17] Compelling, however, brings the characters deeper into the story.
[14:17] Keeping the fate chip currency moving with compels. An example from play.
[14:56] Fate chip economy!
[15:15] How to use a compel #5: Players compelling other characters
[15:38] How to use a compel #6: Moving the story along when players don't want to budge.
[16:47] A reward for good role-playing?
[18:11] Accidental Survivors Bumper.
[18:51] Review of the show. Disappointed with the audio quality.
[19:20] Request for feedback.

Links:

Dresden Files RPG
Good Omens Games
Evil Hat
This Modern Death
Accidental Survivors

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Hosts: Sean Nittner and Justin Evans

Length: 23:48

Liner Notes

[00:28] Show Introduction: Previews and Running Conventions.
[01:32] RPGpodcasts.com Bumper
[01:54] Part 1. Definitions of Preivews
[02:04] Okay, the real Definition of Previews
[02:14] Justin's Bleeding Edge Stuff
[02:57] Modeled after previews to TV shows, designed to get players excited about the next game.
[03:48] How Justin uses it in his game. Players create brief (vague) scenes for the next game.
[04:35] Incorporating them into the next game.
[05:08] Can be difficult if you don't know how long the game will be.
[05:48] The players end up giving you fuel for the games.
[05:59] What if you can't find a place to fit the preview in? Does it feel forced?
[07:48] What about players framing their scenes including the preview?
[08:50] Allowing the players to fill in the details.
[09:58] Sean has requested scenes in advance form players. Mixed results. Do previews ever have these troubles?
[11:03] Keep the previews short and vague.
[11:33] Authoring other player's characters into your previews?
[12:30] Players enjoy the spotlight being put on them.
[12:51] Sean's superior math skills
[13:05] RPGpodcasts.com Bumper
[13:12] Part 2. Good Omens Con
[13:42] Stats: 60 attendees, 14 games, and a Guest GM: Carl Rigney
[14:16] Covered by 2d6Feet.com
[14:28] Instant Pre-Order for Don't Loose your Mind
[15:30] The History of Good Omens Con
[15:48] Both Cons were Chartiy Events: Alemeday Food Bank
[16:49] First starting thinking about this early 2005
[17:38] Location. Find a place to host the con. EndGame hosted our con. They Rock!
[19:12] Date: Pick a date where there aren't other convetions going on
[19:42] Round up GMs.
[20:26] Coordinante the game sign ups.
[21:12] Feeing of running a con is great. A chance to give back to the gamer community.
[21:20] Sean's Mantras - Scratch someone elses back first.and "Free is Good!"

Links:

RPGpodcasts.com
Good Omens Games
2d6Feet.com
Don't Loose your Mind
EndGame

Post Feedback Here: Comments

Hosts: Sean Nittner and Justin Evans

Length: 30:20 Minutes

Liner Notes

[00:30] Show Introduction - Pacing Mechanics.
[01:24] RPGpodcast.com bumper
[01:42] Definition of Pacing. A couple useless ones first.
[02:00] Controlling the urgency in the game upping the stakes.
[03:19] Preventing analysis paralysis and encouraging immersion.
[03:47] Pacing built into most games, usually in combat systems. Something we are all familiar with.
[04:32] The same hit point system most gamers are familiar with from Dungeons and Dragons are used in Burning Empires to represent Disposition.
[05:47] Situation: Disarming a bomb in Spirit of the Century. Creating pacing for a non-combat conflict to create urgency.
[07:48] Another SotC mechanic extended skill challenge.
[08:15] How Justin used an extended skill challenge in a Firefly game to represent the race to find an outlaw before he was caught by a bounty hunter.
[10:42] Using props as a visual aid to represent margin of success and chance of failure.
[11:11] Skill Challenges in 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons are very similar.
[12:10] This form of pacing comes form game mechanics.
[13:00] Bringing in outside elements. Sand timers, egg timers. Not giving players enough time to analyze all the information available.
[13:50] Introducing a mini game as a spotlight moment.
[14:45] How Justin escalated things even further, causing distractions.
[15:58] Potential backfire? Does this still work if the characters fail?
[16:37] Using a timer in My Life with Joker to trigger random events.
[18:24] Ding! Ding! Ding! A bank blows up!
[18:57] An extreme example in John Wick's Play Dirty.
[19:44] Applying the mechanics as in game effects. In a Matrix game "Time is always against you."
[20:49] Doom in Roanoke. Affects narration of end game.
[21:42] Sean was disappointed there wasn't more doom.
[21:52] Pace set by the players in Sons of Liberty
[28:54] Pacing is game agnostic. Try it out.
[29:04] Another RPGPodcasts.com bumper
[29:09] Show Recap
[29:50] Let us know what you think: narrativecontrol@gmail.com

Links

RPGpodcast.com
Dungeons and Dragons
Burning Empires
Spirit of the Century
My Life with Master
Play Dirty
Roanoke
Sons of Liberty

Post Feedback Here: Comments

Hosts: Sean Nittner and Justin Evans

Length: 29:33 Minutes

Liner Notes

[0:27] Introduction to the show. Zero prep vs. high prep games.
[0:55] Rpgpodcasts.com bumper
[1:16] Cage Match! We want two winners
[1:32] Definitions: Zero Prep games.
[2:21] Example of a zero prep game: Spirit of the Century. Pickup or zero prep? The same thing?
[4:40] Even less prep: In a Wicked Age using oracles.
[6:51] Story starts being developed during character/setting creation. Creates situation and conflict for the GM to use.
[8:10] Definition: High Prep game
[9:57] May create different player motivations. Instead of directing plot, pursue developing character or find a reason to connect to the existing plot.
[11:00] Foster antagonism between the GM and players?
[12:40] Listening to Have Games will Travel: For a Few Games More. Paul talks about different types of stories.
[14 :44] More examples of low prep games: Universalis. Players sit down with a blank slate and bit on story elements to include.
[15:35] Prime Time Adventures. Pitch session is zero prep. From then on, low prep.
[17:07] Games that include a mechanic to push the story forward. Shab-al-Hiri Roach and Sons of Liberty and Polaris
[18:54] Show Notes (not schnotes, just in case you thought you heard me wrong but didn't)
[19:32] High prep games examples. Dungeons and Dragons, White Wolf games, Call of Cthulhu and Shadowrun.
[20:04] John Wick's method for combining low prep mechanics in high prep games: Dirty Dungeon. Method from Wilderness of Mirrors
[21:11] Win and Fail of low and zero prep games.
[21:23] Win! Low prep games offer a great time savings.
[22:42] Win! Player Buy in. They like it because they built it.
[23:35] Fail. The game could be potentially less coherent. Different players with different ideas about what the game is about.
[24:45] Fail and Win! Investment in the game for both GM and players.
[25:00] Win! Less pressure on the part of the GM.
[27:04] What happens if someone isn't exited about a game?
[28:33] Try swapping back and forth. Spice it up!
[28:44] Closing notes. Lets us know what you think at forum.narrativecontrol.com or email narrativecontrol@gmail.com

Links
Rpgpodcasts.com
Spirit of the Century
In a Wicked Age
Have Games will Travel: For a Few Games More
Universalis
Prime Time Adventures
Shab-al-Hiri Roach
Sons of Liberty
Polaris
Dirty Dungeon
Wilderness of Mirrors

Post Feedback Here: Comments

Length: 22:47

Hosts: Sean Nittner, Shaun Hayworth, Kristin Sullivan, and Randy Davenport

Liner Notes

[0:30] Thanks for the feedback from last episode
[0:53] Burning Las Vegas got me thinking about Burning Wheel
[1:21] Experimenting with actual play reports
[1:45] RPGpodcats.com Bumper
[1:52] Introduction to the hosts
[2:34] What is Burning Deadwood?
[2:58] Discussion of the show Deadwood
[3:40] Deadwood isn't setting, its situation
[4:40] Orks be here!
[4:50] Game defined by the character's motivations
[5:26] A group of players looking to be screwed with
[5:50] Brief background on the game.
[6:11] Levi, the fire and brimstone priest of Zoltek
[6:50] Player vs. Player conflicts built into beliefs: "The wizard must burn!"
[7:02] Role of religion in westerns
[7:48] Woops, the wizard botched his spell and turns a forest to crystal
[8:27] Gunning for a Dual of Wits with a torch in hand.
[8:55] The story is driven by the players but we all got suprised a few times.
[10:00] Seans's strategy: Rally the congregation against the Wizard!
[11:04] Converting the mother of the son to turn against her child. Evil priest!
[12:00] Oddly anti-climatic ending that was very satisfying
[13:20] Pet peave of Sean's: Players don't recognize authority figures. How does it play out differently when they are controlled by the GM vs. another player?
[14:28] Group dynamic. These are people climbing the food chain, not the heroes of the dawn.
[15:06] The mechanics support this. NPCs have some serious weight to throw around.
[16:06] NPCs and PCs use the same tactics, and death is easy.
[16:58] Separate plots advancing during the game.
[17:44] Players opting to screw themselves over made the game rock.
[18:58] Opening scene as a foreshadowing for the themes of the session.
[19:13] Character driven story meant we could split up and move the story forward
[19:37] A very restricted geography keeps the characters running into each other.
[20:58] Burning Wheel mechanics make it unnecessary to have a story scripted, everything moves forward from a starting condition.
[21:39] Thanks to Shaun, Kristin and Randy.

Links

RPGPodcats.com
This Modern Death
Burning Wheel
Deadwood

Post Feedback Here: Comments

Liner Notes

[0:28] Introduction to the show. Hacking systems.
[0:50] The show is a bit long. Let me know if it is too long. Email us: narrativecontrol@gmail.com
[1:42] RPGPodcasts.com bumper
[1:58] What we mean by hacking systems.
[2:36] Justin's current game. A hodgepodge of games:
[2:52] Cadwallon - Setting and Dice pools
[3:28] Wushu mechanics - Detailed bad ass combats on the fly.
[3:52] Fate - Stunts
[4:04] Shadows of Yesterday - Experience Keys for experience and character flags.
[5:00] How has this been accepted by the players? Pros and Cons
[6:17] Is this play testing a new game?
[7:08] Sean's accidental hack of Prime Time Adventures with Exalted.
[7:39] Removing screen presence to allow equal importance for con games
[7:53] Allowing every player narration rights.
[8:30] Changes made specifically for the con environment.
[9:07] Change fan mail to allow the producer to grant fan mail.
[9:40] Other reasons to hack games? Games that don't have strong social conflict mechanics.
[10:38] Hacking Duel of Wits from Burning Wheel
[10:55] Why? Players want to do actions in a game that involve a complex and fun mechanic.
[11:38] Brining it together. Molding mechanics to fit in the core game so players aren't learning completely separate systems.
[12:33] Systems that are very easy to borrow from: Wilderness of Mirrors, Fate
[15:17] Games with great mechanics and situations screaming to be ported into other settings: Dogs in the Vineyard
[15:34] Using In a Wicked Age by swapping out Oracles
[17:03] A Battlestar Galactica oracle on www.sinistergame.com
[17:25] Don't get Sean started on shnotes
[17:36] My Life with Master has a very thin setting, easy to move. Sean ported it to My Life with Joker.
[18:47] Some games that are tightly coupled with their settings. Value in playing the game as intended?
[19:08] Dozens of setting hacks for Dogs in the Vineyard but the original setting has so much character, don't discount the value of playing a straight dogs game.
[22:10] Settings that have benefited from different systems: Exalted using Prime Time Adventures and Wushu/Wuxalted
[23:30] Exalted Unplugged
[24:12] Shadowrun alternative systems: Prime Time Adventures, Burning Wheel and Don't Rest Your Head
[29:46] Our parting worlds on hacking systems. Try it!

Links

RPGPodcats.com
Cadwallon
Wushu
Fate
Shadows of Yesterday
Prime Time Adventures
Burning Wheel
Wilderness of Mirrors
Dogs in the Vineyard
Sinister Game
My Life with Master
Exalted
Wuxalted
Shadowrun
Don't Rest Your Head

Post Feedback Here: Comments

Hosts: Sean Nittner and Erik Woodbury

Liner Notes

[0:27] Intro to the Show - Burning Las Vegas, part 2
[0:50] Promo for This Modern Death
[1:44] Creating Locations - What this does for the game
[2:16] Player contributions create investments immediately
[2:54] Why Sean won't include vampires in his games
[3:22] Dealing with gambling
[3:39] Location #1 - The Strip - How much granularity do we need to define now?
[5:16] Location #2 - Voodoo Lounge - A hang out and safe area for supernaturals. Changes we made in the real world.
[6:22] Erik is a real pain in the donkey.
[7:18] We're accepting donations to go to the Voodoo Lounge. Yeah, right!
[7:40] Aspects: "Let your inner party animal out Discrete Inquiries; Apply Within" and "You only start trouble once." - How we combined a few themes to create make these aspects.
[9:49] Location #3 - Fremont Street Experience - Home of the mob.
[10:40] Aspect: "You're only safe under the lights." This place represents the conflict between the old guard and the new powers
[11:50] Why we create an utter mundane, Grandpa Tony.
[14:13] Location #4 - Las Vegas Country Club Resort - Why the high rollers won't be coming here.
[15:13] Aspect: "Power Plays on the Back Nine."
[15:45] Characters in the story will be coming here to make major changes. The player characters will be movers and shakers.
[16:50] How the books may end up differing from the game.
[17:28] Location #5 - University of Nevada, Las Vegas - Home of the Rebels
[17:58] A stripper who met her husband at a strip club... it could happen to you.
[18:34] UNLV Student Body - Finger on the Pulse of the parties, entry point to other places in the city, built in victims.
[19:50] Professor of Aberrant Psychology - A source of local lore.
[20:44] Other locations we haven't detailed here but we've got on the web site: http://www.sadric.com/dresden/
[21:33] Our Area 51 Operative
[22:37] The steps to follow
[23:14] Fred Hicks RPGpodcasts.com Promo
[23:26] Closing and contact information

This Modern Death
Evil Hat Productions
RPGPodcasts.com
Dresden Files RPG
Jim Butcher's Website
Burning Las Vegas

Post Feedback Here: Comments

Hosts: Sean Nittner and Erik Woodbury

Liner Notes

[0:30] Mashing things up. A few changes.
[0:33] New co-host Erik Woodbury
[0:50] Brian Isikoff invited me to be a guest on Episode 38 of 2d6feet in a Random Direction
[1:18] Burning Las Vegas. Alpha Play Test of the Dresden Files RPG.
[2:15] RPGpodcasts.com Bumper
[2:37] Introduction to the Dresden Files novels setting
[3:58] Step One - Pick a City. How we chose Las Vegas.
[4:53] Brainstorming cities
[5:54] The issue of Primacy
[6:19] Our difficulty settling on one city. Trying to avoid stereotypes
[8:56] Step Two - The theme of the Las Vegas
[9:38] Vegas is a crossroads for the world
[10:08] Potential themes: "Luck be a Lady tonight", "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas", "The haves and have nots", "A holiday for morality", "That's nothing, just wait till you see what happens next weekend" and "Grandfather Thunder is displeased."
[11:18] Focusing these aspects on themes that would be easy to use in game and that would push the story forward.
[13:15] Conflict between "Sin City" and "Entertainment Capital of the World"
[14:50] Our personal experiences in Las Vegas
[16:54] Our final picks for themes
[17:17] How Aspects will work in Dresden Files RPG (as per Fate)
[18:20] Little known fact. Las Vegas means "The Meadows"
[18:51] End of part one, intro to part two: Locations and Personalities
[19:09] Contact information

2d6 Feet in a Random Direction
Evil Hat Productions
RPGPodcasts.com
Dresden Files RPG
Jim Butcher's Website

Live Journal Entries for Burning Las Vegas:
Viva Las Vegas
The Entertainment Capital of the World
Fear and Self Loathing in Las Vegas

Post Feedback Here: Comments

Hosts: Sean Nittner and Justin Evans

Liner Notes

[0:38] Introduction â Living City
[0:40] Source â John Wick's Play Dirty
[1:28] Justin answers âWhat is Living City?â
[3:00] How it's done. John Wick's example: NPCs given to player.
[4:39] Pitfalls with antagonistic or knowledgeable NPCs?
[5:30] Disseminating information through the players.
[6:00] Sean's use of a similar techniques in his Mage: The Awakening game.
[8:30] NPC Information: Name, Nature, Aspects and Motivation
[9:47] Bread Crumbs. How changing information on the cards can throw players off balance.
[11:15] The technique gives players who would normally be out of scene a chance to play.
[11:29] How to make up NPCs on the fly: Sins and Virtues cards.
[11:47] Show Notes vs. Schnotes battle returns
[12:23] Back to Sins and Virtues...
[14:55] Why would you create a Living City? New plots, granting players narrative control, more believable NPCs.
[17:50] Some of the most interesting interactions happen between players are taking the roles of NPC.
[18:08] More emotional involvement between PC and NPC vs. PC and PC?
[19:45] Pitfalls. Too much information shared? NPCs not coming to life? GMs gets left out? GM needs to be more prepared.
[21:58] Burning Dresden City Creation. Entire group creates locatoins and personalities.
[23:25] How to contact Narrative Control

Wicked Dead Brewing Company
Shnotes siting - Beware!
Sinister Game
Dresden Files RPG

Post Feedback here: Comments

2d6 Feet in a Random Direction, Episode 8
EndGame
This Modern Death
Have Games Will Travel, Episode 98

Dread
Spirit of the Century
Dogs in the Vineyard
Prime Time Adventures

Post feedback here: Comments